Addressing sexual problems: General practitioners' practice patterns

Objectives

Although sexual problems are common, they are rarely inquired about or treated in appointments with general practitioners (GPs). This study aimed to evaluate GPs' attitudes and practice patterns in addressing patients' sexual problems.

Study design

A cross-sectional, quantitative, web-based questionnaire survey was conducted among a random sample of 1000 GPs in Finland.

Main outcome measures

The study covered three focus areas: (1) GPs' attitudes toward the management of sexual problems, (2) frequency of GPs' inquiries to patients about various sexual problems, and (3) GPs' practice patterns in the treatment of sexual problems.

Results

Altogether, 402 GPs (aged 27–65 years, 75 % female and 25 % male) responded. Diagnosing sexual problems in both male and female patients was considered difficult, but especially so in female patients. The GPs asked their patients with sexual problems most often about erectile dysfunction (87.3 %), decreased libido (70.4 %), and dyspareunia (66.4 %). When diagnosing sexual problems, 52.2 % prescribed medications, 35.3 % ordered treatments other than medications, 26.4 % ordered further tests, 19.4 % referred patients to a sexual medicine specialist, and only 6 % reported that their organization had guidelines on where to refer patients with sexual problems for continued care.

Conclusions

Increasing GP education in sexual medicine is essential to enhance their knowledge of sexual health and improve their recognition of sexual health problems during patient consultations. Clinical practice guidelines regarding the treatment of sexual problems are also needed to systematize GPs' practice patterns regarding patients' sexual problems in order to prevent underdiagnosis and undertreatment of such problems.