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ObjectiveTo examine whether gender differences in primary care consultation rates (1) vary by age and deprivation status and (2) diminish when consultation for reproductive reasons or common underlying morbidities are accounted for.DesignCross-sectional study of a cohort of patients registered with general practice.SettingUK primary care.SubjectsPatients (1 869 149 men and 1 916 898 women) registered with 446 eligible practices in 2010.Primary outcome measuresPrimary care consultation rate.ResultsThis study analyses routinely collected primary care consultation data. The crude consultation rate was 32% lower in men than women. The magnitude of gender difference varied across the life course, and there was no ‘excess’ female consulting in early and later life. The greatest gender gap in primary care consultations was seen among those aged between 16 and 60 years. Gender differences in consulting were higher in people from more deprived areas than among those from more affluent areas. Accounting for reproductive-related consultations diminished but did not eradicate the gender gap. However, consultation rates in men and women who had comparable underlying morbidities (as assessed by receipt of medication) were similar; men in receipt of antidepressant medication were only 8% less likely to consult than women in receipt of antidepressant medication (relative risk (RR) 0.916, 95% CI 0.913 to 0.918), and men in receipt of medication to treat cardiovascular disease were just 5% less likely to consult (RR=0.950, 95% CI 0.948 to 0.952) than women receiving similar medication. These small gender differences diminished further, particularly for depression (RR=0.950, 95% CI 0.947 to 0.953), after also taking account of reproductive consultations.ConclusionsOverall gender differences in consulting are most marked between the ages of 16 and 60 years; these differences are only partially accounted for by consultations for reproductive reasons. Differences in consultation rates between men and women were largely eradicated when comparing men and women in receipt of medication for similar underlying morbidities.

time that this paper was being developed and written. Charlotte Loppie reports a grant from the CIHR that funded research reported in a case study in this report. Laurence Moore reports having been a member of the UK MRC Population Health Strategy Group and the MRC/NIHR Methodology Research Programme Panel during the life of this project. He also reports core funding from the MRC and the Scottish Government CSO. David Ogilvie reports a grant from the NIHR Public Health Research programme and a grant from the MRC programme during the life of the project. Mark Petticrew reports a grant from the NIHR to develop a briefing paper. Valéry Ridde reports conducting consultancy work for non-governmental organisations implementing the user fees exemption intervention in West Africa. Daniel Wight reports grants from the UK MRC and the NIHR. Outside the submitted work, he reports core funding from the UK MRC to lead a theme of research on the transferability of interventions.