I am happy to report that the virtual issue of ANZJOG devoted to Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori women’s health is now freely accessible on the ANZJOG website. I urge you to spread this information as widely as possible. There are two excellent editorials; one from Marilyn Clarke and Kiarna Brown on the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, the second from Leigh Duncan on the health of Māori women. I am most grateful to our publisher, Wiley, for their work on this issue and for making it freely available. Wiley has also made available a series of relevant articles previously published in ANZJOG.

The October issue of ANZJOG is now out. Ian Symonds, in his Invited Editorial, gives an excellent overview of the new national curriculum in obstetrics and gynaecology and discusses related issues, including the scarcity of clinical experience and the role of simulation in teaching.¹ There are two reviews: the first, by Blandthorn et al,² deals with prescription opioid use in pregnancy; the second, by O’Donovan et al,³ is on mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Australia and other high-income countries.

Two original research articles in obstetrics are concerned with daily, but important, situations in birth suites: water immersion for birth⁴ and the routine use of large bore cannulas for labouring women,⁵ both coming up with some interesting findings. Equally relevant are the two articles on surveillance of caesarean section wound infection (Scheck et al)⁶ and re-admission for this indication (El-Achi et al).⁷

An original research article in sexual and reproductive health, by Vallely et al,⁸ looks at visual inspection of the cervix following application of acetic acid and the association with HPV and other infections. This study comes from Papua New Guinea and will not only be of interest to readers in the Pacific, but also to Australian Fellows and trainees doing short-term placements in the region.

In our Short Communications section, Cheng et al answer the question: medical students and midwives – how do they view each other?⁸ Lusink and colleagues look at factors predicting successful medical management of miscarriage.⁹

Coming up in the December issue in our Current Controversies in Obstetrics and Gynaecology series: does planned vaginal birth require informed consent? There are two evidence-based, lively papers examining each side of this argument.

I am always glad to welcome new reviewers for ANZJOG. Our 12 Associate Editors and two Assistant Editors cover the whole range of subspecialties within our discipline, as well as generalist obstetrics and gynaecology. Each editor sends papers of interest to at least two reviewers, meaning we need a total of around 500 reviews each year. We value the opinions of clinicians as highly as those of academics, so if you are interested, do not hesitate to contact [email protected].

I would like to extend warm thanks to Val McDonald for taking on the task of coordinator for ANZJOG in the latter half of this year. Val, who previously worked at College House, has come (temporarily!) out of happy retirement to help with the journal. I am most grateful for her assistance.

1. Symonds I. A common medical schools curriculum in obstetrics and gynaecology. ANZJOG 2018;58(5):491.
2. Blandthorn J, Leung L, Loke Y, et al. Prescription opioid use in pregnancy. ANZJOG 2018;58(5):494.
3. O’Donovan K, Emeto TI. Mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Australia and other high-income countries: Trends in perinatal exposure, demography and uptake of prevention strategies. ANZJOG 2018;58(5):499.
4. Lewis L, Hauck YL, Butt J, Hornbuckle J. Obstetric and neonatal outcomes for women intending to use immersion in water for labour and birth in Western Australia (2015-2016): A retrospective audit of clinical outcomes. ANZJOG 2018;58(5):539.
5. Webster J, Larsen E, Booker C, et al. Prophylactic insertion of large bore peripheral intravenous catheters in maternity patients for postpartum haemorrhage: A cohort study. ANZJOG 2018;58(5):548.
6. Scheck SM, Blackmore T, Maharaj D, et al. Caesarean section wound infection surveillance: Information for action. ANZJOG 2018;58(5):518.
7. El-Achi V, Wan KM, Brown J, et al. Readmissions for surgical site infections following caesarean section. ANZJOG 2018;58(5):582.
8. Vallely AJ, Toliman PJ, Ryan C, et al. Association between visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid examination and high-risk human papillomavirus infection, chlamydia trachomatis, neisseria gonorrhoeae and trichomonas vaginalis in Papua New Guinea. ANZJOG 2018;58(5):576.
9. Cheng HC, de Costa C, Woods C. Medical students and midwives – How do they view each other? ANZJOG 2018;58(5):586.