This is why women see their doctor more than men do.

By: Clare Bayram, University of Sydney; Allan John Pollack, University of Sydney; Helena Britt, University of Sydney, and Janice Charles, University of Sydney

Women go to the doctor more often than men, particularly in their reproductive years between the ages of 15 and 44. This difference is partly due to management of gynaecological and reproductive issues.

Because of the frequency of visits, and the sensitive nature of many of these, it’s important a woman has a good relationship with her general practitioner.

Why women go to the doctor.

In a recent study, we found about 12 per cent of problems managed for women of all ages in primary care concerned their reproductive or genital system.

Australian women visited a GP on average nearly seven times a year in 2013-14. For men, this figure was just under five times. Among those between 15 and 24, 83 per cent of women – but only 68 per cent of men – saw a GP at least once in any given year.

The frequency and type of these problems varied across age groups.

Throughout their lives, women experience different health issues. For instance, about 20 per cent of women of childbearing age experience heavy bleeding during menstruation, and 15 per cent have chronic pelvic pain. These numbers drop in older age groups.

Our study showed in the decade between 2004 and 2014, female-specific problems accounted for a quarter of all problems managed by GPs for women in childbearing years. This fell to only 10 per cent of problems managed for those between 45 and 64 years, and 3 per cent for those 65 and over.

How much blood is normal to lose during a period? Dr Ginni Mansberg explains. (Post continues after video.)

Across all adult age groups, gynaecological check-ups involving pap smears were common. Other female-specific problems managed by GPs aligned with the life stages: pregnancy and contraception in younger women, menstrual problems and menopause in the middle and older age groups.

We found the most common problem managed overall for women between the ages of 15 and 64 was depression. The most commonly prescribed medications were contraceptives and antidepressants.

Across all age groups, women were more likely to have depression than men and this was reflected in higher management by GPs.

For women 65 years and over, depression dropped down the list of problems, overtaken by a number of physical conditions. Pelvic floor disorders, such as urinary and faecal incontinence, affect about 50 per cent of women aged 80 and older.

There are various theories about why women have higher depression rates. Environmental and biological influences, such as hormones, have been implicated, but studies on this aren’t conclusive. (Post continues after gallery.)

Relationship with a GP.

Some women feel embarrassed talking about female-specific issues, even with a health professional. One study showed only 32 per cent of women aged 45 and over who had urinary incontinence actually mentioned this to their GP.

This is why having a regular GP is important. Studies show continuity of care in primary care is associated with better health outcomes.

Reassuringly, our study found women between 25 and 44 were more likely to attend a regular practice than men in the same age group. Across all age groups, more than 90 per cent of women said they had a regular GP practice.

This is likely because they need repeated cervical cancer screening (pap smears) and contraceptive prescriptions, and management of chronic diseases in later years.

We hope future changes to cervical cancer screening (to replace two-yearly Pap smears with a five-yearly HPV test) and the push towards long-term contraception, despite their benefits, will not affect the relationship between women and their GP.

How often do you visit your GP?

Clare Bayram, Research Fellow, Family Medicine Research Centre, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney; Allan John Pollack, Research analyst in Family Medicine, University of Sydney; Helena Britt, Associate professor, Director of the Family Medicine Research Centre, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, and Janice Charles, Senior Research Officer General Practice, University of Sydney

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.