An exploratory study to assess primary care physicians' attitudes toward talking about sexual health with older patients in Trinidad and Tobago
Background: A good quality sex life and interest in sex are positively associated with health in middle-aged and later life. For effective diagnosis of sexual health problems, an appropriate discussion about sexual health issues including a sexual history is advised. The sexual health care delivery...
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Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
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Online Access: | http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2019;volume=8;issue=2;spage=626;epage=633;aulast=Rabathaly |
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doaj-5bab2b6fde784cc1a4f9934e09e2035a2020-11-24T22:02:22ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Family Medicine and Primary Care2249-48632019-01-018262663310.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_325_18An exploratory study to assess primary care physicians' attitudes toward talking about sexual health with older patients in Trinidad and TobagoPatrice A RabathalyVijay Kumar ChattuBackground: A good quality sex life and interest in sex are positively associated with health in middle-aged and later life. For effective diagnosis of sexual health problems, an appropriate discussion about sexual health issues including a sexual history is advised. The sexual health care delivery and management during consultations by primary care physicians is relatively unexplored, especially for older patients. This paper aims to explore primary health care physicians' (PCPs) attitudes to sexual health care and management of middle-aged and older patients in Trinidad and Tobago. Methods: In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 PCPs in Trinidad and Tobago. Topics examined included physician-patient relations, sexual health care management challenges, communication and sexual history taking practices, and training needs of PCPs. The framework analysis method was adopted for analysis. Results: Most doctors stated that they were not comfortable with conducting a sexual history with their older patients, and they rarely discussed or initiated talking about sexual health with them. Barriers included time constraints, inappropriate environmental conditions for privacy, inadequate professional referral services, insufficient medical training in sexual function in middle and old age, reluctant patient behavior, conflicting personal beliefs on sexuality, and socio-cultural factors. Conclusion: PCPs may be reluctant to raise sexual health-related issues with their older patients, and these older patients may not initiate this discussion because of discomfort and embarrassment. Consequently, physicians' inability to effectively communicate with these patients could result in missed opportunities for interventions and patients' concerns may remain unheard and their sexual problems untreated.http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2019;volume=8;issue=2;spage=626;epage=633;aulast=RabathalyMiddle-agedold agedprimary caresexual healthsexual history takingsexuality |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Patrice A Rabathaly Vijay Kumar Chattu |
spellingShingle |
Patrice A Rabathaly Vijay Kumar Chattu An exploratory study to assess primary care physicians' attitudes toward talking about sexual health with older patients in Trinidad and Tobago Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care Middle-aged old aged primary care sexual health sexual history taking sexuality |
author_facet |
Patrice A Rabathaly Vijay Kumar Chattu |
author_sort |
Patrice A Rabathaly |
title |
An exploratory study to assess primary care physicians' attitudes toward talking about sexual health with older patients in Trinidad and Tobago |
title_short |
An exploratory study to assess primary care physicians' attitudes toward talking about sexual health with older patients in Trinidad and Tobago |
title_full |
An exploratory study to assess primary care physicians' attitudes toward talking about sexual health with older patients in Trinidad and Tobago |
title_fullStr |
An exploratory study to assess primary care physicians' attitudes toward talking about sexual health with older patients in Trinidad and Tobago |
title_full_unstemmed |
An exploratory study to assess primary care physicians' attitudes toward talking about sexual health with older patients in Trinidad and Tobago |
title_sort |
exploratory study to assess primary care physicians' attitudes toward talking about sexual health with older patients in trinidad and tobago |
publisher |
Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications |
series |
Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care |
issn |
2249-4863 |
publishDate |
2019-01-01 |
description |
Background: A good quality sex life and interest in sex are positively associated with health in middle-aged and later life. For effective diagnosis of sexual health problems, an appropriate discussion about sexual health issues including a sexual history is advised. The sexual health care delivery and management during consultations by primary care physicians is relatively unexplored, especially for older patients. This paper aims to explore primary health care physicians' (PCPs) attitudes to sexual health care and management of middle-aged and older patients in Trinidad and Tobago. Methods: In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 PCPs in Trinidad and Tobago. Topics examined included physician-patient relations, sexual health care management challenges, communication and sexual history taking practices, and training needs of PCPs. The framework analysis method was adopted for analysis. Results: Most doctors stated that they were not comfortable with conducting a sexual history with their older patients, and they rarely discussed or initiated talking about sexual health with them. Barriers included time constraints, inappropriate environmental conditions for privacy, inadequate professional referral services, insufficient medical training in sexual function in middle and old age, reluctant patient behavior, conflicting personal beliefs on sexuality, and socio-cultural factors. Conclusion: PCPs may be reluctant to raise sexual health-related issues with their older patients, and these older patients may not initiate this discussion because of discomfort and embarrassment. Consequently, physicians' inability to effectively communicate with these patients could result in missed opportunities for interventions and patients' concerns may remain unheard and their sexual problems untreated. |
topic |
Middle-aged old aged primary care sexual health sexual history taking sexuality |
url |
http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2019;volume=8;issue=2;spage=626;epage=633;aulast=Rabathaly |
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