Talking about sexual health in primary care: Results of a cross-sectional study among general practitioners in Germany.

Abstract

Introduction: Physical and psychological problems related to sexual health are a highly relevant health topic. Although general practitioners (GPs) are usually the first point of contact for patients, studies show that they rarely talk about sexual health. This study explored whether German GPs consider sexual health an important health issue and feel a responsibilty to address patient concerns in this regard, how often they discuss sexual health topics with their patients, and what hampers or facilitates conversations about sexual health.

Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional online survey was conducted among German GPs (11/2021-06/2022). Data were analyzed in SPSS using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression.

Results: Most of the 249 participating GPs consider sexual health an important topic (68.8 %, n = 159) and feel responsible for their patients' sexual health (74.5 %, n = 176). Nearly one-half of respondents (48.1 %, n = 112) report that they address sexual issues less often than medically indicated. The main barriers include lack of time, language barriers, and the presence of relatives; the patients' own initiative and a good and/or long-term doctor-patient relationship have the effect of facilitating conversation. In-depth analysis revealed that the perception of hampering and supportive factors as well as the frequency with which sexual health topics are addressed is influenced by the following GP characteristics: higher age group, male gender, longer duration of practice, non-heterosexual orientation, specialization, and positive experiences with talking about this sensitive topic.

Discussion: Although sexual health is an important issue in primary care, it is discussed less often than medically indicated.

Conclusion: Structured communication and a high competence regarding sexual health issues can contribute to improving patient care and should therefore be more strongly represented in medical school curricula and GP training courses.