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Sexual Communication between Healthcare Professionals and their Clients/Patients

Most health care professionals receive little training in their professional programs to prepare them to help clients and patients deal with sexual issues. As a result,many are not comfortable discussing sexual issues with their clients/patients and have low self-efficacy for dealing with sexual issues (sexual intervention self-efficacy).The training and sexual intervention self-efficacy of physicians is particularly important because they are the professionals that people most frequently consult about their health concerns Yet, people are unlikely to raise sexual issues, concerns and questions if physicians do not signal that they are comfortable and willing to discuss sexual issues. Therefore, Stéphanie Boyer, Deanne Simms, Caroline Pukall, Stephan Holzapfel, Susan Chambers and I are conducting a study investigating physicians’ education, training, and self-efficacy for dealing with their patients’ sexual concerns and problems. This research builds on earlier research that I conducted with Andrea Miller in which we examined clinical psychologists’ self-efficacy related to intervening with clients who have sexual concerns and problems. 

Midwives also can play an important role in their clients' sexual well-being. Therefore, Caroline Pukall, Alyssa Byers-Heinlein, Ali McCallum and I are also conducting a study investigating midwives education, training, and practice in dealing with sexual concerns.


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