Student perspectives on sexual health: implications for interprofessional education

Abstract

Interprofessional collaboration requires that health professionals think holistically about presenting concerns, particularly for multimodal problems like sexual dysfunction. However, health professions students appear to receive relatively little sexual health education, and generally none is offered on an interprofessional basis. To assess current degree of interprofessional thinking in sexual health care, 472 health professions students in Georgia, United States, were presented with a sexual dysfunction vignette and asked to rate the relevance of, and their familiarity with, interventions offered by several professionals. They also were asked to identify the most likely cause of the sexual dysfunction. Students rated relevance and familiarity with interventions as highest for physicians and lowest for dentists, with higher ratings of nurses by nursing students. More advanced students reported greater familiarity with mental health, physician, and physical therapy interventions. Finally, nursing students were less likely to attribute the dysfunction to a physical cause. These findings indicate that students may prioritize biomedical approaches in their initial assessment and may need additional supports to consider the spectrum of biopsychosocial factors contributing to sexual functioning. To encourage interprofessional critical thinking and prepare students for interprofessional care, sexual health curricula may be improved with the inclusion of interprofessional training. Specific recommendations for curriculum development are offered.

Health Care Students’ Attitudes Towards Working with Sexual Health in Their Professional Roles: Survey of Students at Nursing, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Programmes

“…Research has shown that physical therapy and occupational therapy students are in more need of such interventions than other health professionals, especially since their interventions might be important to sexual health care (Penwell-Waines et al, 2014).…”

“…The level of sexual health knowledge in basic education for health professionals is limited, and health professionals might thus lack necessary competence to treat decreased sexual health (Coleman et al, 2013;Evans, 2013;Penwell-Waines et al, 2014). There is research showing that the type of pedagogical model used in teaching sexual health and communication about sexual heath affects the outcome of the intervention (Carabez, Pellegrini, Mankovitz, Eliason, & Dariotis, 2015;Coleman et al, 2013;Parish & RubioAurioles, 2010;Penwell-Waines et al, 2014).…”

“…There is research showing that the type of pedagogical model used in teaching sexual health and communication about sexual heath affects the outcome of the intervention (Carabez, Pellegrini, Mankovitz, Eliason, & Dariotis, 2015;Coleman et al, 2013;Parish & RubioAurioles, 2010;Penwell-Waines et al, 2014). To highlight sexual health in the health care professions, increased knowledge and education concerning sexual health is advisable (Evans, 2013;Helland, Garratt, Kjeken, Kvien, & Dagfinrud, 2013).…”

“…Areskoug-Josefsson & Oberg, 2009;Egan et al, 2013;Josefsson & Gard, 2012;Rosenbaum, 2006). To provide sufficient sexual health rehabilitation, health care professionals need not only to recognize the biomedical view of sexual health, which is common among health professionals, but also to incorporate in their caring practice the biopsychosocial model of sexual health (Papaharitou et al, 2008;Penwell-Waines et al, 2014). In this study the definition of sexual health by the World Health Organization will be used (World Health Organization, 2006 In the study by Haboubi and Lincoln, health professionals agreed that sexual health could be part of care and rehabilitation for patients, but there was a need for more knowledge and education concerning sexual health and communication about sexual health issues (Coleman et al, 2013;Haboubi & Lincoln, 2003).…”

Saúde sexual e reprodutiva no contexto da graduação do curso de medicina

“…Os autores demonstraram que o ensino sobre saúde sexual e reprodutiva resulta em melhor desempenho do aluno para identificar as dimensões de direito e ética relacionados à Saúde Reprodutiva. Esses resultados confirmam um recente estudo norte-americano 13 no qual foram avaliados 472 alunos da graduação de diferentes cursos da área da saúde quanto à familiaridade com o tema saúde sexual e a opinião deles sobre a relevância desse tema. Médicos foram os profissionais que melhor reconheceram essa relevância e demonstraram maior conhecimento sobre o tema.…”