Sexual health in patient care: shortcomings in medical training and experienced barriers in sexual history taking

Abstract

Abstract Background Sexual health is recognized as a fundamental component of well-being, with implications for individuals, communities, and healthcare practices. This study explores medical residents' perspectives on training in sexual history taking, emphasizing its importance and the challenges faced at the onset of their clinical practice. Methods A survey was conducted among 167 medical residents at the largest medical school in Belgium and their training curriculum was analysed. The participants completed an online questionnaire addressing aspects of sexual history training, skills, knowledge, attitudes, and factors influencing sexual history taking. Results The survey revealed several shortcomings in the medical training in sexual history taking. Dissatisfaction is expressed regarding the adequacy of provided training, with a prominent barrier being the lack of skills and knowledge necessary for effective sexual history taking. Discomfort, experienced by physicians and their patients, emerges as a critical factor affecting the initiation and quality of sexual history discussions. Other challenges include biases related to religion, ethnicity, age, and gender, while practical factors, such as time constraints and language barriers, underscore the multitude of obstacles in comprehensive sexual history assessments. Conclusion This study highlights the opportunities for improved training in sexual history taking in medical education, contributing to more inclusive and effective sexual history taking practices. Recommendations are made, including targeted interventions to improve skills, knowledge and attitude of the students.

Keywords

• Sexual health
• Communication with health professionals
• School-based interventions
• Health care
• Access to health care