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Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Sexual Health Flashcards
62 question-and-answer cards covering Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Sexual Health as it is examined in Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB). 24 of them are printed below, taken from across the deck — no signup, no paywall on the preview.
24 sample cards from the Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Sexual Health deck
Sampled from the end of the deck, so these are different cards from the ones shown on the syllabus page.
Distinguish primary from secondary dysmenorrhoea.
Primary: painful periods without underlying pathology, starting soon after menarche, due to prostaglandins. Secondary: develops later, due to pathology such as endometriosis, fibroids, PID, or adenomyosis.
List the Rotterdam criteria for polycystic ovary syndrome.
Two of three: oligo-/anovulation, clinical or biochemical hyperandrogenism, and polycystic ovaries on ultrasound ($\geq 12$ follicles or ovarian volume $> 10\ \text{mL}$).
What hormonal change defines the menopause and what is the diagnostic clinical criterion?
Loss of ovarian follicular activity with low oestrogen and raised FSH. Diagnosed clinically as 12 months of amenorrhoea (no period), typically around age 51.
Why must a progestogen be added to oestrogen in HRT for women with a uterus?
Unopposed oestrogen causes endometrial hyperplasia and increases the risk of endometrial cancer; the progestogen protects the endometrium.
What is the main benefit and the main risk of combined HRT?
Benefit: relief of vasomotor symptoms and protection against osteoporosis. Risk: small increased risk of breast cancer (combined) and venous thromboembolism (oral route).
What is premature ovarian insufficiency and its hormonal profile?
Menopause before age 40 due to loss of ovarian function. Biochemically: elevated FSH (e.g. $> 25\ \text{IU/L}$ on two occasions) with low oestradiol.
What is endometriosis and its gold-standard diagnostic investigation?
Presence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterus, causing cyclical pain, dysmenorrhoea, dyspareunia, and subfertility. Laparoscopy is the gold-standard diagnostic (and therapeutic) investigation.
Describe the typical features of uterine fibroids (leiomyomas).
Benign oestrogen-dependent smooth-muscle tumours causing menorrhagia, bulk/pressure symptoms, and subfertility. They enlarge in pregnancy and regress after menopause.
Which gene mutations most increase the risk of ovarian (and breast) cancer?
BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Ovarian cancer is also associated with Lynch syndrome (HNPCC).
What is the most important risk factor for cervical cancer, and what is the screening/prevention strategy?
Persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV types 16 and 18) infection. Prevention is HPV vaccination plus cervical screening with HPV primary testing (cytology if HPV positive).
What is the classic presentation and main risk factors for endometrial cancer?
Postmenopausal bleeding is the cardinal symptom. Risk factors reflect unopposed oestrogen: obesity, nulliparity, late menopause, PCOS, tamoxifen, and unopposed oestrogen HRT.
Compare the typical mechanisms of the combined oral contraceptive pill versus the progestogen-only pill.
COCP mainly inhibits ovulation (suppresses FSH/LH) and also thickens cervical mucus and thins endometrium. Traditional POP mainly thickens cervical mucus; desogestrel POP also reliably inhibits ovulation.
What is the failure rate (Pearl-type 'typical use') ranking that makes LARCs preferred, and give examples of LARCs?
Long-acting reversible contraceptives (copper IUD, levonorgestrel IUS, progestogen implant, injection) are most effective ($> 99\%$) because they are not user-dependent. The implant is the most effective ($< 1$ pregnancy per 1000 over 3 years).
What are key UKMEC category 4 (absolute) contraindications to the combined oral contraceptive pill?
Migraine with aura, history of VTE/thrombophilia, breast cancer, uncontrolled hypertension, smoking $\geq 15$/day at age $\geq 35$, and $< 6$ weeks postpartum if breastfeeding.
Compare the two methods of emergency contraception and their time windows.
Copper IUD: most effective, up to 5 days after unprotected sex or earliest estimated ovulation. Oral: levonorgestrel within 72 h; ulipristal acetate (ellaOne) within 120 h.
What is the mechanism of the copper IUD when used as emergency contraception?
Copper is toxic to sperm and ova (impairs fertilisation) and the IUD induces an endometrial inflammatory reaction preventing implantation.
What advice is given if a woman vomits within 2-3 hours of taking oral emergency contraception?
The dose may not have been absorbed; she should take another dose. Consider an antiemetic or a copper IUD instead.
What organism causes chlamydia, and what is the first-line treatment in the UK?
Chlamydia trachomatis. First-line treatment is doxycycline $100\ mg$ twice daily for 7 days (azithromycin if doxycycline contraindicated, e.g. pregnancy).
What is the classic presentation and treatment of gonorrhoea?
Caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae; purulent urethral/cervical discharge and dysuria. First-line treatment is a single intramuscular dose of ceftriaxone $1\ g$.
Describe the three stages of syphilis caused by Treponema pallidum.
Primary: painless chancre. Secondary: rash (including palms/soles), condylomata lata, lymphadenopathy. Tertiary: gummata, cardiovascular (aortitis), and neurosyphilis. Treated with benzathine penicillin.
Differentiate bacterial vaginosis from trichomoniasis on examination and discharge.
BV: thin grey-white discharge, fishy odour, clue cells, pH $> 4.5$, no inflammation (Gardnerella, overgrowth). Trichomoniasis: frothy yellow-green discharge, vulvovaginitis, 'strawberry cervix' (Trichomonas vaginalis). Both treated with metronidazole.
What is pelvic inflammatory disease and a key long-term complication?
Ascending infection of the upper genital tract (often Chlamydia/Gonorrhoea) causing lower abdominal pain, discharge, and cervical excitation. Long-term complications include infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pelvic pain.
Within what timeframe should HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEPSE) be started after sexual exposure?
As soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours and no later than 72 hours after exposure; a 28-day course of antiretrovirals is given.
What is the age of consent and the key principle for providing contraception to under-16s in the UK?
Age of consent is 16. Under-16s can receive contraception without parental consent if they meet the Fraser guidelines (sufficient maturity/understanding, cannot be persuaded to inform parents, likely to have sex regardless, health at risk, in their best interests).
What this deck covers
The Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Sexual Health deck follows the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Sexual Health syllabus — 4 chapters and 16 topics — so questions land on material that is genuinely examinable rather than trivia around it. That works out to roughly 15.5 cards per chapter.
Answers are written to be recallable, not just readable — averaging about 177 characters, which is long enough to carry the reasoning and short enough to say out loud.
A deck like this earns its keep on the second and third pass. Read the syllabus first so you know the shape of the subject, then use the cards to find the specific facts that have not stuck.
Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Sexual Health flashcards FAQ
How many Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Sexual Health flashcards are in this Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) deck?
62 cards. This page previews 24 of them, sampled evenly across the deck so you can judge the difficulty before installing anything.
Are these Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) flashcards free?
Yes. The preview here is free to read with no signup, and the full 62-card deck is free inside the Examius app.
What do the Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Sexual Health cards cover?
They follow the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Sexual Health syllabus — 4 chapters and 16 topics — so the questions track what is actually examinable.
How should I use these flashcards?
Read the syllabus first so you know the shape of the subject, then drill the deck. Examius schedules each card with spaced repetition, so cards you keep missing come back sooner and ones you know drift further apart.