Rapid Responses to:

LETTERS: Julietta Patnick and Catherine M Davison Health needs of women who have sex with women: Cervical screening is offered without asking for sexual preferences BMJ 2004; 328: 464-a [Full text]

Rapid Responses: Submit a response to this article

Rapid Responses published:

Sexual preference and the contraception question

Sarah E Carr   (23 February 2004)

Sexual preference and the contraception question 23 February 2004
Sarah E Carr, Research Analyst SCIE Send response to journal: Re: Sexual preference and the contraception question	Although GPs may not ask directly about sexual preference, when they enquire about current use of contraception this can inevitably lead to a situation where the patient feels pressured to disclose her sexual orientation. In my experience each cervical smear test I have had has been preceded by the contraception question. Last time a GP told me that I did not need a smear test because of my sexual orientation and suggested I remove myself from the test alert listing. Reading the research by Hughes and Evans I wonder if this is evidence-based practice? Competing interests: None declared