Comfort Level of Occupational and Physical Therapist Students in Addressing Sexual Issues With Patients

Abstract

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Introduction. Addressing a patient's sexuality and sexual health is an important component of holistic health care, but there are several challenges affecting students' comfort levels. Studies have indicated that patients want to talk about sexual issues, but there is a lack of conversation initiation from the health care providers. Although there is research to indicate that occupational therapists (OTs) are more comfortable than physical therapists (PTs) in discussing sexual issues, both professions report a lack of content within their respective programs. The purpose of this study was to determine comfort levels of OT and PT students when discussing and addressing sexual issues, as well as demographic factors that might influence comfort level and perceived barriers. Methods. A survey was sent to OT and PT students from 3 different universities inquiring as to the respondent's demographics, academic and clinical training, comfort level with various patient scenarios, and perceived barriers to addressing sexual issues. Mann -Whitney U and Kruskal -Wallis statistical tests were used to analyze the differences in comfort levels between groups of students, and open ended questions were coded into themes based on similarity and frequency of responses. Results. A total of 128 students completed the survey. Third-year students, regardless of professional program, were more comfortable addressing sexual issues compared with first-year students. The most common barriers to addressing sexual issues with patients included lack of experience and lack of knowledge. Discussion and Conclusion. Overall, the comfort level was affected by age, academic year, personal demographics, and perceived confidence. Neither geographical location nor religious background had a significant influence on student comfort level.