Effect of attitudes towards patients on sexual history taking: a survey of Iranian–American physicians in California, USA

Sexual Health ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitra Rashidian ◽  
Victor Minichiello ◽  
Synnove F. Knutsen ◽  
Mark Ghamsary
Keyword(s):  
Female Sexuality ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Sexual History ◽  
History Taking ◽  
Cultural Attitudes ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Sexual Health Care ◽  
Medical Graduates ◽  
Sexual History Taking ◽  
Iranian American

Background: Although obtaining sexual history from patients is essential, the attitudes of physicians can become a barrier to sexual health care. Iranian–American physicians may face particular challenges because talking about sexuality is considered a taboo within their culture. Our study examined these physicians’ attitudes when taking a sexual history from their patients. Methods: In 2013, a self-administrated questionnaire was sent to 1550 Iranian–American physicians in California, USA. Using factor analysis, the principal components approach with a Varimax rotation was used on a set of 12-item questions (five-point Likert scales) to detect latent factors that explain attitudes affecting sexual history taking. Scores are generated to determine physicians’ attitudes towards sexual history taking. Results: In total, 354 questionnaires were returned (23% response rate). Three factors were identified as internally consistent (Cronbach’s α = 0.84 – 0.94): (1) attitude towards various patients; (2) female sexuality; and (3) age and marriage. Significant association were found between these three factors and some variables such as physicians’ gender, country of medical graduation, religion, birthplace and age. Conclusions: Results revealed that cultural attitudes are important factors affecting physicians’ involvement in sexual history taking. Additional studies from this population and other subpopulations of US physicians are needed. New strategies that reflect on physicians’ attitude on sexual healthcare delivery is needed. If confirmed in other studies, our findings could have implications for the training of medical graduates globally.

How do UK medical graduates rate their knowledge and skills in sexual health and HIV medicine? A national survey

2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 324-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Estcourt ◽  
N Theobald ◽  
D Evans ◽  
N Lomax ◽  
A Copas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Health ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Postal Questionnaire ◽  
Sexual History ◽  
History Taking ◽  
Transmitted Infection ◽  
Clinical Indicators ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Medical Graduates ◽  
Sexual History Taking

The objectives of this study are to determine self-assessed knowledge and skills in sexual health and HIV medicine in preregistration house officers and to explore undergraduate experiences of teaching and assessment in these subjects prior to the launch of National Core Learning Outcomes in Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV. The study was designed as a postal questionnaire survey. The participants were all UK medical graduates of August 2004. The response rate 1737/4746 (36%). The main outcome measures were Doctors’ views on their preparedness to manage patients with sexual health and HIV-related problems. Since graduation, 90% of respondents had seen at least one patient with a sexually transmitted infection or HIV-related issue. Seventy-six percent felt confident to take a sexual history. In all, 63% and 53% felt competent in male and female genital examination, respectively. Forty-three percent felt they could conduct an appropriate HIV pretest discussion and 59% felt they could recognize clinical indicators suggestive of HIV. Seventy-eight percent had been formally assessed in sexual health and 55% in HIV medicine. Increased confidence in sexual history taking, HIV pretest discussion and recognition of HIV indicators was associated with a longer duration of teaching and formal examination. In conclusion, although the proportion of recent graduates confident in sexual history taking is encouraging, their lack of skill in discussing HIV testing, risk assessment and recognition of possible HIV presentations must be addressed. Integration of National Core Learning Outcomes into all undergraduate curricula is a key step in reducing inconsistencies in undergraduate training.

Factors Affecting Sexual History Taking in a Health Center Serving Homeless Persons

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (9) ◽  
pp. 1395-1405
Author(s):  
Timothy Joseph Sowicz ◽  
Christine K. Bradway
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Center ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Sexual History ◽  
History Taking ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Sexual History Taking ◽  
Sexual Histories

Low rates of documentation of sexual histories have been reported and research on sexual history taking (SHT) has focused on the content of, barriers to collecting, and interventions to improve documentation of sexual histories. Absent from this literature is an understanding of the contextual factors affecting SHT. To address this gap, a focused ethnography of one health center was conducted. Data were collected through observations of health care encounters and interviews with health care providers (HCPs). No SHT was observed and this was likely influenced by patients’ characteristics, communication between patients and HCPs, the prioritization of patients’ basic needs, and time constraints imposed upon encounters. Given that the health center studied serves patients experiencing homelessness, behavioral health concerns, and opioid use disorder, findings illuminate areas for future inquiry into a patient population affected by social as well as physiologic determinants of health and potentially at high risk for adverse sexual health outcomes.

Addressing sexually transmissible infection in HIV-positive patients. A clinical audit

Sexual Health ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Esler ◽  
Catriona Ooi
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
Clinical Audit ◽  
Sexual History ◽  
Hiv Positive ◽  
History Taking ◽  
Health Unit ◽  
Sti Testing ◽  
Sexual History Taking ◽  
Sexually Transmissible Infection ◽  
Transmissible Infection

Australian guidelines for sexual history taking and sexually transmissible infection (STI) screening of HIV-positive patients do not exist. An audit was conducted to assess current practices of sexual history taking and STI testing of HIV-positive patients attending Hunter New England Sexual Health Unit.

Sexual risk assessment in general practice: evidence from a New South Wales survey

Sexual Health ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asaduzzaman Khan ◽  
David Plummer ◽  
Rafat Hussain ◽  
Victor Minichiello
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Sexual Risk ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Sexual History ◽  
History Taking ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Sexually Transmissible Infections ◽  
Sexual History Taking ◽  
Sexual Histories

Background: Physicians’ inadequate involvement in sexual risk assessment has the potential to miss many asymptomatic cases. The present study was conducted to explore sexual risk assessment by physicians in clinical practice and to identify barriers in eliciting sexual histories from patients. Methods: A stratified random sample of 15% of general practitioners (GP) from New South Wales was surveyed to assess their management of sexually transmissible infections (STI). In total, 409 GP participated in the survey with a response rate of 45.4%. Results: Although nearly 70% of GP regularly elicited a sexual history from commercial sex workers whose presenting complaint was not an STI, this history taking was much lower (<10%) among GP for patients who were young or heterosexual. About 23% never took a sexual history from Indigenous patients and 19% never elicited this history from lesbian patients. Lack of time was the most commonly cited barrier in sexual history taking (55%), followed by a concern that patients might feel uncomfortable if a sexual history was taken (49%). Other constraints were presence of another person (39%) and physician’s embarrassment (15%). About 19% of GP indicated that further training in sexual history taking could improve their practice. Conclusions: The present study identifies inconsistent involvement by GP in taking sexual histories, which can result in missed opportunities for early detection of many STI. Options for overcoming barriers to taking sexual histories by GP are discussed.

Sexual history taking in primary care

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (8) ◽  
pp. 308-311
Author(s):  
Sarah Kipps
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Health Professional ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Sexual History ◽  
History Taking ◽  
Medical Assessment ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Sexual History Taking ◽  
The Subject

Sexual history can be neglected in a routine nursing or medical assessment. Sarah Kipps gives tips to assist in making a sexual history taking session as comfortable as possible for both health professional and patient Practitioners in primary care are in a unique position to improve the sexual health of men and women. They can do this by introducing the topic of sexual health into their everyday consultations and thereby normalising the subject as part of routine health for the patient. There is evidence that health professionals find sexual history taking to be one of the more challenging aspects of a consultation. There are a number of different reasons for this: feeling not equipped to ask questions of such a sensitive nature; fear of opening a ‘can of worms’ which cannot be dealt with; and the general social embarrassment and difficulties experienced talking about sex in general. This article will give health professionals some tips and guides to assist in making a sexual history taking session as comfortable as possible for both health professional and patient.

Sexual History Taking

2021 ◽  
Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Janine Mintz ◽  
Scott Emory Moore
Keyword(s):  
Sexual History ◽  
History Taking ◽  
Sexual History Taking
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