Exploring Gynecologists/Obstetricians and General Practitioners’ Perspectives on Sexual Health Management among Obstetric Patients: Insights from a National Portuguese Survey
Background: Sexual health (SH) remains a marginalized topic in medical education, posing a challenge to healthcare professionals in providing adequate sexual care. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, clinical experience, training experiences and needs of doctors working in G...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IMR Press
2024-09-01
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| Series: | Clinical and Experimental Obstetrics & Gynecology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.imrpress.com/journal/CEOG/51/9/10.31083/j.ceog5109204 |
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| author | Kristina Hundarova Raquel Sousa Bárbara Laranjeiro Teresa Bombas Maria João Carvalho Sofia Franco |
| author_facet | Kristina Hundarova Raquel Sousa Bárbara Laranjeiro Teresa Bombas Maria João Carvalho Sofia Franco |
| author_sort | Kristina Hundarova |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Sexual health (SH) remains a marginalized topic in medical education, posing a challenge to healthcare professionals in providing adequate sexual care. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, clinical experience, training experiences and needs of doctors working in Gynecology/Obstetrics (G/O) and General Practice (GP) regarding sexuality during pregnancy. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2022 to March 2023, inviting Portuguese physicians (G/O and GP) to complete an online questionnaire. Results: Of 366 physicians (50.8% GP; 49.2% G/O) surveyed, the majority were female (85.5%), aged between 24 and 35 years (57.9%) and specialists (56.8%). Nearly all respondents (99.2%) recognized the importance of SH during pregnancy, with 86.6% agreeing that inquiring about sexuality is essential, given that 99.2% believe that pregnancy affects SH. However, despite 66.9% of physicians acknowledging that pregnant value sexuality, 55.2% reported that fewer than 10% pose questions, and only 27.6% of doctors inquire about sexuality. Although 85.0% of the respondents felt completely or partially comfortable discussing sexuality, only 24.6% considered themselves skilled to provide SH counselling, with less than a fifth feeling capable of treating specific sexual dysfunctions. The main difficulties were time constraints (75.7%) and lack of training (70.2%), particularly evident in the GP group. More than a quarter of GP responders and 11% of G/O physicians admitted the lack of education or training in this area. Nearly all responders expressed interest in improving their knowledge, with residency training being the most preferred option. Conclusions: Portuguese physicians recognize the importance of sexuality during pregnancy, but only a minority routinely inquire about it during appointments, referring lack of time and training as the major barriers. The study highlights significant deficiencies in Portuguese GP and G/O practitioners concerning sexual health, emphasizing the urgent need for further training in this area. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-41cec01c0c7a4bda9cc424a35decdc61 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0390-6663 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-09-01 |
| publisher | IMR Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Clinical and Experimental Obstetrics & Gynecology |
| spelling | doaj-art-41cec01c0c7a4bda9cc424a35decdc612025-08-20T03:03:45ZengIMR PressClinical and Experimental Obstetrics & Gynecology0390-66632024-09-0151920410.31083/j.ceog5109204S0390-6663(24)02445-XExploring Gynecologists/Obstetricians and General Practitioners’ Perspectives on Sexual Health Management among Obstetric Patients: Insights from a National Portuguese SurveyKristina Hundarova0Raquel Sousa1Bárbara Laranjeiro2Teresa Bombas3Maria João Carvalho4Sofia Franco5Gynecology and Obstetrics A Services, Coimbra Hospital and University Centre, 3004-561 Coimbra, PortugalGynecology and Obstetrics A Services, Coimbra Hospital and University Centre, 3004-561 Coimbra, PortugalGynecology and Obstetrics A Services, Coimbra Hospital and University Centre, 3004-561 Coimbra, PortugalObstetrics A Service, Coimbra Hospital and University Centre, 3000-157 Coimbra, PortugalGynecology and Obstetrics A Services, Coimbra Hospital and University Centre, 3004-561 Coimbra, PortugalObstetrics A Service, Coimbra Hospital and University Centre, 3000-157 Coimbra, PortugalBackground: Sexual health (SH) remains a marginalized topic in medical education, posing a challenge to healthcare professionals in providing adequate sexual care. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, clinical experience, training experiences and needs of doctors working in Gynecology/Obstetrics (G/O) and General Practice (GP) regarding sexuality during pregnancy. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2022 to March 2023, inviting Portuguese physicians (G/O and GP) to complete an online questionnaire. Results: Of 366 physicians (50.8% GP; 49.2% G/O) surveyed, the majority were female (85.5%), aged between 24 and 35 years (57.9%) and specialists (56.8%). Nearly all respondents (99.2%) recognized the importance of SH during pregnancy, with 86.6% agreeing that inquiring about sexuality is essential, given that 99.2% believe that pregnancy affects SH. However, despite 66.9% of physicians acknowledging that pregnant value sexuality, 55.2% reported that fewer than 10% pose questions, and only 27.6% of doctors inquire about sexuality. Although 85.0% of the respondents felt completely or partially comfortable discussing sexuality, only 24.6% considered themselves skilled to provide SH counselling, with less than a fifth feeling capable of treating specific sexual dysfunctions. The main difficulties were time constraints (75.7%) and lack of training (70.2%), particularly evident in the GP group. More than a quarter of GP responders and 11% of G/O physicians admitted the lack of education or training in this area. Nearly all responders expressed interest in improving their knowledge, with residency training being the most preferred option. Conclusions: Portuguese physicians recognize the importance of sexuality during pregnancy, but only a minority routinely inquire about it during appointments, referring lack of time and training as the major barriers. The study highlights significant deficiencies in Portuguese GP and G/O practitioners concerning sexual health, emphasizing the urgent need for further training in this area.https://www.imrpress.com/journal/CEOG/51/9/10.31083/j.ceog5109204sexual healthpregnancygynecology/obstetricsgeneral practicemedical education |
| spellingShingle | Kristina Hundarova Raquel Sousa Bárbara Laranjeiro Teresa Bombas Maria João Carvalho Sofia Franco Exploring Gynecologists/Obstetricians and General Practitioners’ Perspectives on Sexual Health Management among Obstetric Patients: Insights from a National Portuguese Survey Clinical and Experimental Obstetrics & Gynecology sexual health pregnancy gynecology/obstetrics general practice medical education |
| title | Exploring Gynecologists/Obstetricians and General Practitioners’ Perspectives on Sexual Health Management among Obstetric Patients: Insights from a National Portuguese Survey |
| title_full | Exploring Gynecologists/Obstetricians and General Practitioners’ Perspectives on Sexual Health Management among Obstetric Patients: Insights from a National Portuguese Survey |
| title_fullStr | Exploring Gynecologists/Obstetricians and General Practitioners’ Perspectives on Sexual Health Management among Obstetric Patients: Insights from a National Portuguese Survey |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring Gynecologists/Obstetricians and General Practitioners’ Perspectives on Sexual Health Management among Obstetric Patients: Insights from a National Portuguese Survey |
| title_short | Exploring Gynecologists/Obstetricians and General Practitioners’ Perspectives on Sexual Health Management among Obstetric Patients: Insights from a National Portuguese Survey |
| title_sort | exploring gynecologists obstetricians and general practitioners perspectives on sexual health management among obstetric patients insights from a national portuguese survey |
| topic | sexual health pregnancy gynecology/obstetrics general practice medical education |
| url | https://www.imrpress.com/journal/CEOG/51/9/10.31083/j.ceog5109204 |
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