Female Pelvic Conditions

This is a special edition of FP Essentials for several reasons. For one, I worked with an excellent team of authors. Dr. Dalby and her team were always on time with their work; they knew their topics well and were responsive when dealing with comments and suggestions from peer reviewers and editors. I hope their discussions of dyspareunia and vulvodynia, sexually transmitted infections, urinary incontinence, and interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome will be helpful in your practice and keep you up to date.

It is also special because this is the last time I will work with FP Essentials, as I’m stepping down from my role as editor. I joined the FP Essentials team nearly 25 years ago and became the lead medical editor in 2007. Over those many years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some amazing authors from all over the world, with a wonderful team of associate editors and editorial board members who have been so dedicated to their work, and with the incredible and devoted editorial staff at the American Academy of Family Physicians. It has been a great experience for me and hopefully helpful to our many thousands of FP Essentials readers.

I will continue as an associate medical editor of American Family Physician and with my work in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Dr. Sumi Sexton, editor-in-chief of American Family Physician, will take over the editorship of FP Essentials as the two publications merge under a single management team. Hopefully, you will continue to find this publication useful in meeting your professional goals.

Barry D Weiss, MD, FAAP, Medical Editor
Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine
University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson

Estefan Beltran, MD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. He completed his family medicine residency training at the University of Wisconsin, where he earned a pathway certificate in pregnancy care. He continues to practice full-spectrum family medicine. His interests are women’s health, including obstetric care, community medicine, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Bonnie Brown, MD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. Before starting her current position, she completed a fellowship in advanced obstetrics in Seattle, Washington, and practiced and taught in Missoula, Montana. Her interests include obstetrics, women’s health, and working with patients on lifestyle change.

Kane Laks, MD, is a full-spectrum family medicine physician at the Menominee Tribal Clinic in Keshena, Wisconsin. He completed his residency and academic fellowship training in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. He graduated from the Rural Health Equity Track in residency and his fellowship included emphases on rural training curricula, teaching, and high-risk obstetrics. His interests include underserved rural populations and Native American health.

Jessica Dalby, MD, is an associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, where she directs the gynecologic health curriculum for the residency program. Since 2017, she has served as the medical consultant for sexual and reproductive health for the City of Milwaukee Health Department in Wisconsin. The Milwaukee area has high rates of sexually transmitted infections. She has published several articles and given more than 12 presentations on curbing the rise of sexually transmitted infections.

Disclosure: It is the policy of the AAFP that all individuals in a position to control CME content disclose any relationships with ineligible companies upon nomination/invitation of participation. Disclosure documents are reviewed for potential relevant financial relationships. If relevant financial relationships are identified, mitigation strategies are agreed to prior to confirmation of participation. Only those participants who had no relevant financial relationships or who agreed to an identified mitigation process prior to their participation were involved in this CME activity. All individuals in a position to control content for this activity have indicated they have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

• Diagnose women who experience pain with sexual intercourse.
• Treat chronic vulvar pain without a clear, identifiable cause.
• Screen patients for sexually transmitted infections using recommended guidelines.
• Determine the appropriate use of expedited partner therapy for sex partners of patients with sexually transmitted infections.
• Determine the most appropriate nonpharmacologic first-line therapies for urge and stress incontinence.
• Recognize potential adverse effects of anticholinergic drugs on cognitive function when treating urge incontinence in older adults.
• Monitor the effects of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome therapies with recommended symptom scales.
• Interpret initial and interval retinal examinations to prevent pigmented maculopathy when treating patients who have interstitial cystitis with pentosan polysulfate sodium.