Let's talk about sex(ual) wellbeing! Staff perceptions of implementing a novel service for people with Multiple Sclerosis

Background In people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), a complex interplay of neurological dysfunction, polypharmacy and psychological issues, contrive to impair their sexual and reproductive wellbeing. Realising an unmet need, the Tayside MS service in collaboration with a sexual health clinician (LJ), established a ‘Pelvic Health Clinic’ to improve quality of life for PwMS. Objective To explore clinician's perceptions of implementing an MS Pelvic Health service with a view to establishing future outcomes for health care professionals about the utility in such a service. Method In this small-scale qualitative case study, we explored clinician's perceptions of such a clinic adjunct. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed, and thematically analysed in a reflexive manner. Results Five participants consented. Ten sub-themes emerged, which were organised into three main themes: service tensions, patient needs and practitioner feelings. Conclusion Clinicians highly valued the new MS ‘pelvic health clinic’. Knowing that there was a service available empowered clinicians to ask patients about sexual health needs. Specific referral criteria may help further develop the service and improve patient care. Staff welcome training and support in this area or the option to signpost onwards; either mechanism lends itself to enhancing MS patient needs.

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Does Sense make sense? Mixed methods study of a Dutch sexual health program

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckz185.353 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽

Author(s):

R Joosten ◽

L Jochems ◽

C Wijsen ◽

T Heijman ◽

A Timen

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Mixed Methods ◽

Young People ◽

Sexual Health ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Mixed Methods Study ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Open Atmosphere ◽

Study Results

Abstract In the Netherlands, the Sense program addresses several key elements of sexual health for young people <25 year. This program offers free consultations at the PHS concerning STI, contraceptives, pregnancy or sexuality. The performance of this program has not been studied yet. This mixed methods study investigates facilitators and barriers of a Sense consultation from the perspective of clients and health care professionals (HCP) and investigates the outcome of the consultation at three points in time. Semi-structured interviews were conducted after consultation among 16 clients and 6 HCP. Questionnaires were collected directly after consultation and at 3, 6 and 12 months after consultation. Two cohorts were recruited; clients with STI consultation only and clients with questions related to sexuality, contraception and pregnancy (Sense consultation, SC). Satisfaction of the consultation and applicability of the given advice was measured. In the follow up presence of STI, pregnancy, sexual problem and contraceptive use was measured. A minority of the interviewed clients were familiar with Sense, highly valued the expertise of the HCP and the open atmosphere during the consultation. Reasons for visiting Sense included expertise, more anonymity and feeling more comfortable than at the GP. The questionnaire after consultation was returned by 144 STI clients and 32 SC clients. Both type of consultation were highly valued and advice was easily applicable. The follow up cohort included 97 STI clients and 23 SC clients. Response rate of the 3- and 6 month-questionnaires was 61%. Results of the full one year follow-up are expected in September 2019. Study results provide evidence for a highly valued Sense program, by both clients and HCP. Sense is a platform to discuss STI, contraception and sexuality in an open atmosphere, though familiarity with Sense is low. A major conclusion is that an STI consultation provides the opportunity to address questions related to sexuality. Key messages The Sense program is highly valued by young people, and yet the program is not widely known among young people. There is need for more publicity to the program to enable more young people to use this program and to improve the sexual health care of young Dutch people.

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Co-locating art and health: engaging civil society to create an enabling environment to respond to HIV in Indonesia

Sexual Health ◽

10.1071/sh20125 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 84 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jamee Newland ◽

Dwi Lestari ◽

Mashoeroel Noor Poedjanadi ◽

Angela Kelly-Hanku

Keyword(s):

Civil Society ◽

Sexual Health ◽

Health Information ◽

Health Clinic ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Sexual Health Information ◽

Interactive Engagement ◽

Stigma And Discrimination ◽

Health Project ◽

Shared Understandings

Background This paper will report on the successful co-location of a community-based arts and sexual health project that aimed to engage, educate and create testing, treatment and care pathways at a co-located mobile sexual health clinic and community-controlled art gallery in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Methods: Mixed methods were used to evaluate the project, including a visitor (n = 1181) and artist (n = 85) log book, a convenience audience survey (n = 231), and qualitative semi-structured interviews (n = 13) with artists and audience to explore the effect of arts-based activities on access to sexual health information and services, and stigma and discrimination. Results: In total, 85 artists curated five separate exhibitions that were attended by 1181 people, of which 62% were aged ≤24 years. Gallery attendance improved awareness and participatory and interactive engagement with sexual health information through a medium described as interesting, fun, cool, and unique. The co-located clinic facilitated informal pathways to sexual health services, including HIV/AIDS testing, treatment, and care. Importantly, the project created shared understandings and empathy that challenged stereotypes and myths, reducing stigmatising beliefs and practices. Conclusions: Arts-based programs are transformative and can be effectively implemented, replicated and scaled up in low-resource settings to create awareness and initiate for HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and care. Art-based health programs engages people in their communities, mobilises civil society, builds enabling environments to reduce stigma and discrimination and improves access to testing and prevention; essential features needed to end AIDS in Indonesia (and the Southeast Asia region) while improving the lives of those most vulnerable to infection.

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Health-Care Professionals' Assessments of, and Recommendations for, Sexual-Health Education and Service Provision for Young People in Tehran

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2021.634795 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Narges Sheikhansari ◽

Charles Abraham ◽

Sarah Denford

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Young Adults ◽

Young People ◽

Sexual Health ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Service Provision ◽

Cultural Barriers ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Supported Education ◽

Design And Methods

Background: Only limited Sexual Health and Relationships Education (SHRE) is provided in Iranian schools and universities while research has highlighted demand and need for improved SHRE among young adults. We explored health-care professionals' (HCPs) assessments of, and recommendations for, SHRE and service provision for young people in Tehran.Design and Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 17 HCPs based in Tehran and verbatim transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis.Results: Participants confirmed the need for improved SHRE and service provision for young adults. HCPs described how a lack of reliable educational resources for young adults, taboo and cultural barriers, and a lack of trust and confidentiality prevented young people from accessing information and services. They unanimously supported education and services to be augmented, and provided recommendations on how this could be achieved.Conclusions: A number of positive suggestions for the improvement of SHRE and Iranian sexual health services in Iran were identified.

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“They really hear you out”: Lessons on providing contraceptive care from a community-based sexual health clinic

The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality ◽

10.3138/cjhs.2021-0018 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. e20210018

Author(s):

Karyn Fulcher ◽

Amber Archibald ◽

Jenny Francoeur

Keyword(s):

Sexual Health ◽

Best Practice ◽

Family Doctor ◽

Health Clinic ◽

Task Sharing ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Community Based ◽

Sexual Health Care ◽

Supportive Environment

Individuals in Canada may obtain prescription contraception from a family doctor, a walk-in clinic, or sexual health clinic. While there are guidelines for best practice in contraceptive care, the quality of this care varies widely. Access to any contraceptive care is also a concern, partly due to increasing pressures on physicians’ time. These issues have led to calls to expand contraceptive care into the purview of nurses and other qualified health professionals, a ‘task-sharing’ approach. Here, we use data from semi-structured interviews with providers and patients at a sexual health clinic in British Columbia to examine the benefits of such an approach as implemented in this particular clinic. We conducted semi-structured interviews with physicians, nurses, volunteer peer contraceptive educators, and patients about their experience providing or obtaining care at the clinic, and thematically analyzed the resulting data. Interviewees identified four key benefits in the clinic’s approach: the value of a specialized sexual health clinic where providers had a wealth of experience providing sexual health care; the time and attention given by providers relative to practitioners at other types of clinics; the increased efficiency facilitated by a task-sharing approach; and the inclusive and supportive environment. Although some aspects of this clinic’s strategy are not transferrable to all settings, implementing elements of this model in other settings could increase access to quality contraceptive care.

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Participatory action research in the field of neonatal intensive care: developing an intervention to meet the fathers’ needs. A case study

Journal of Public Health Research ◽

10.4081/jphr.2016.744 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Betty Noergaard ◽

Helle Johannessen ◽

Jesper Fenger-Gron ◽

Poul-Erik Kofoed ◽

Jette Ammentorp

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care ◽

Action Research ◽

Participatory Action Research ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Neonatal Intensive Care ◽

Group Discussion ◽

Unmet Need ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Participatory Action ◽

Interdisciplinary Healthcare

Background: In neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) health care professionals typically give most of their attention to the infants and the mothers while many fathers feel uncertain and have an unmet need for support and guidance. This paper describes and discusses participatory action research (PAR) as a method to improve NICUs’ service for fathers. Our goal is to develop a father-friendly NICU where both the needs of fathers and mothers are met using an approach based on PAR that involves fathers, mothers, interdisciplinary healthcare professionals, and managers. Design and methods: This PAR process was carried out from August 2011 to July 2013 and included participant observations, semi-structured interviews, multi sequential interviews, workshops, focus groups, group discussion, and a seminar. The theoretical framework of validity described by Herr and Anderson’s three criteria; process-, democratic-, and catalytic validity were used to discuss this PAR. Results: Twelve fathers, 11 mothers, 48 health professionals and managers participated in the PAR process. The collaboration ensured the engagement for viable and constructive local changes to be used in designing the concept of the father friendly NICU. Conclusions: This paper contributed new knowledge of how PAR can be used to ensure that participants engaged in the field are involved in the entire process; consequently, this will ensure that the changes are feasible and sustainable.

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An exploration of patient satisfaction with and experience of a sexual abuse survivors clinic

International Journal of STD & AIDS ◽

10.1177/09564624211055962 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 095646242110559

Author(s):

Gurkiran Birdi ◽

Rachel J Caswell ◽

Jonathan DC Ross ◽

Helen Pattison ◽

Oluseyi Ayinde ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Patient Satisfaction ◽

Sexual Health ◽

Sexual Violence ◽

Care Delivery ◽

Health Clinic ◽

Accurate Information ◽

Abuse Survivors ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Sexual Abuse Survivors

Background The scale and extent of sexual violence perpetrated in the United Kingdom is being increasingly acknowledged. Support after the initial disclosure is often sought in NHS sexual health clinics. The purpose of this service evaluation was to explore patient satisfaction and experience amongst sexual health clinic attendees who disclosed sexual violence and were subsequently managed in a specialist sexual abuse survivors clinic. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten service users and interview transcripts were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to assess users’ experiences within the clinic. Results Participants were all female (aged 18–54 years) and had experienced sexual violence between 2 weeks and 15 years prior to interview, and the majority self-identified as White British (6/10). IPA analysis revealed three distinct overarching themes which were important to this group of patients when evaluating their care: delivery of care in the context of judgement and stigma, aspects of care identified as healing or harmful to recovery, and the importance of the processes of providing care. Conclusion Understanding the experiences of sexual violence survivors in healthcare settings can optimise the provision of patient-oriented care and support. This includes ensuring the service user is in control of the consultation, the risks of re-traumatisation are minimised, and individuals receive relevant and accurate information but in a manageable volume and format.

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