Mental Health and the Nation’s Health
A recent survey of over 2400 general practitioners and GPs in training by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has found that mental health conditions continue to be the most common reason that people see their GP....
Social media age restrictions on young people: what’s the evidence?
From the 10th December of this year, social media platforms will be required to restrict access to users under the age of 16. According to the eSafety Commissioner. The platforms include those where: the sole purpose, or a significant purpose, of the service is to...
A blood fat you should be aware of, but may not have heard about
You’ll have the story before: a person who’s been physically fit, not overweight, and never smoked, suddenly dies of a heart attack. They may even have has their cholesterol checked and found it was normal. In a significant proportion of these cases, they’ve had...
Australian Asthma Guidelines 2025: The End of Blue Puffer-Only Treatment
The National Asthma Council Australia has released a landmark update to the Australian Asthma Handbook, marking what experts are calling "a major change of practice" in asthma management. Released on September 16, 2025, the new guidelines represent the biggest shift...
Which is better for you: butter or margarine?
Margarine is an ultra-processed spread originally invented in the 19th century as a replacement for butter which didn’t become rancid. The first recipe used beef tallow, so it definitely wasn’t a healthier choice. Over the years, margarine has evolved, and these days...
Paracetamol in pregnancy: separating fact from misinformation
The message is: listen to your GP, not an unqualified politician. Almost everything stated at the widely publicised press conference held by US President Donald Trump a few weeks ago regarding paracetamol advice for pregnant women, was incorrect. There is no epidemic...
Can changing your diet help endometriosis?
Endometriosis occurs when the lining tissue from the uterus grows outside of the uterus, throughout the pelvis, and sometimes into the abdomen. Just like the lining of the uterus, endometriosis lesions are sensitive to menstrual hormones and bleed causing: painful...
BBPIP 2025: Is Full Bulk Billing Right for Your Practice?
From November 1, 2025, Australian general practice enters a new era with the introduction of the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program (BBPIP). As healthcare professionals across the country weigh their options, understanding what these changes mean for practices,...
Should you exercise when you’re sick?
Some of us (yes, me included) are so obsessed with staying fit and getting our 150 minutes of moderate exercise in a week, that it’s just downright inconvenient when we get a cold. But will we make it worse by exercising? Now the bottom line is how sick you are and...
Jet Lag – what works and what about melatonin?
Jet lag is caused by your body clocks being ‘out of sync’ when you land in another time zone. It can mess with your sleeping, and in some people, feeling out of sorts for a few days. Not everyone is bothered by jet lag, so the symptoms are not inevitable. The more...
Contraceptive techniques: Some facts
A recent review of the evidence found that the pill has a pregnancy rate of between 4 and 7% per year of use, often related to missing doses. Long-acting contraception such as an IUD or an implant has a pregnancy rate of less than 1% per year. For every 100 women...
TikTok on Contraception
Misleading, to say the least A new study has raised warnings about the contraception advice being handed out in Tik Tok videos which are being viewed billions of times. Most Australian TikTok users fall within the 18-24 demographic, a group that is typically sexually...
