The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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England's first health strategy, The Health of the Nation, was formulated without systematic input from the citizens whose health it targeted. Several studies indicate that citizens, when asked to prioritize services, rank interventions for acute and life-threatening conditions highest. But how they view and what they want in the areas of prevention, public health, or care for the chronically and mentally ill is not known. ⋯ Citizens in this study contributed a broad range of relevant, appropriate, and innovative ideas on how to develop health strategy. The use of focus groups to achieve this is practical and efficient.
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The use of aloe vera is being promoted for a large variety of conditions. Often general practitioners seem to know less than their patients about its alleged benefits. ⋯ Even though there are some promising results, clinical effectiveness of oral or topical aloe vera is not sufficiently defined at present.
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Despite high prevalences of sexually transmitted infections, little is known about the sexual lifestyles of women attending inner-city general practices. Responses from a 1996 questionnaire showed that age at first intercourse and numbers of sexual partners were similar to the national survey five years earlier. However, only 49% of women reporting > or = 2 sexual partners in the past year said their partner had used a condom at the last sexual intercourse.
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The best means of improving access to primary health care for homeless people remains controversial, but the debate may be informed by the opinions of homeless people. A questionnaire asked users of a homeless drop-in centre to choose between the options of facilitated access to mainstream primary health care or special provision for homeless people. While both models of care were endorsed, 84% of homeless people preferred a special homeless service.