Gaps in sexual health content of healthcare professional curriculum: a systematic review of educational interventions

Abstract

Background Sexual health care, including assessment and patient teaching, is part of comprehensive patient care. Health professional (medical and nursing) students’ education in sexual health lacks uniformity in content and assessment skills. Objectives The current systematic review aimed to assess sexual health educational curriculum for health professional students regarding the educational content, duration, and evaluation of these educational interventions. Methods This systematic review followed the preferred reporting guidelines for systematic reviews. A comprehensive search was conducted between May–August, 2023 across four databases (PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, EMBASE), outlining 614 sources. Following the screening process, 36 educational intervention studies were deemed eligible for inclusion. The quality assessment of these studies was conducted using The Effective Public Health Project tool, which was found appropriate for evaluating this type of research. Results The studies had a global representation, with most studies conducted in the US. Limited nursing educational interventions were found. Three main categories emerged from the analysis of the educational interventions: one-time interventions, workshops, and semester courses. These categories differed in terms of their duration. Upon evaluating the educational intervention programs, it was found that the majority relied on participant self-reporting, while only a few included objective evaluations. Conclusions This review revealed inconsistencies in educational content for healthcare professional students and may impact their clinical skills, particularly in sexual health. The variation in content, duration, and evaluation methods created challenges in assessing the interventions. The lack of standardized sexual health education highlighted a significant gap, raising concerns about students’ ultimate proficiency in this area. Bridging this divide is essential by integrating comprehensive sexual health content and assessment skills into the health professional curriculum.

Sexual Disability in Low Back Pain: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Framework for Physical Therapists

“…As recently outlined, people with motor disability require support for recovering and maintaining their sexual life [ 87 ], and healthcare professionals need appropriate training on this topic [ 90 ]. The barriers that may hinder the management of this condition can be cultural, social, religious, and educational [ 91 ], and they can concern both healthcare professionals and patients.…”

“…Future studies could also identify more effective counseling tools (brochures, images, etc.) to be used in a physical therapy setting [ 90 ], which may be different from those commonly employed in sexual education addressed to health people.…”