Educational program on sexual medicine for medical students: pilot project in Brazil

Female sexual medicine: an assessment of medical school curricula in a major United States city

Background

Although approximately 41% of women experience sexual dysfunction, limited education on female sexual medicine (FSM) in medical school results in underpreparedness among physicians when addressing these bothersome conditions.

Aim

This study aims to evaluate the extent to which FSM is represented in medical education by examining current preclinical and clinical curricula.

Methods

Preclinical curriculum materials on female sexual anatomy, physiology, and pathology, as well as obstetrics and gynecology clinical materials (syllabi, lecture materials, and supplemental resources), were collected from medical schools in the Chicago area. We utilized previous literature to identify specific components of medical school content to evaluate.

Outcomes

Upon reviewing each institution's curricula, we evaluated materials for topic saturation and assessed goals of each syllabus in terms of required content.

Results

Curriculum materials were collected from 7 medical schools. In the preclinical assessment, 1 institution identified all anatomic components of the clitoris in our review, 4 discussed the physiology of the female orgasm, 3 highlighted the prevalence and epidemiology of female sexual dysfunction (FSD), 3 addressed treatments for FSD, and 1 instructed a genitourinary physical exam specific to assessing FSD. When assessing obstetrics and gynecology clinical materials, 5 institutions included topics related to FSM. Of these, only 1 institution had corresponding required synchronous clerkship time dedicated to these topics as a 1-hour lecture, in addition to an optional online training to third-year clinical students in comprehensive sexual history-taking practices, including screening for FSD. One other institution offered supplemental case-based gynecology modules including vulvovaginal diseases and chronic pelvic pain, though sexual pleasure, arousal, and libido were not included.

Clinical Implications

The results of this study highlight the need for the inclusion of standardized curricula related to FSM in medical education to equip future physicians to treat patients with sexual dysfunction.

Strengths and Limitations

The strengths of this study include that it is the first of its kind to complete a comprehensive review of FSM curricula at a cohort of undergraduate medical institutions. Its limitations include a small sample size of 7 medical schools limited to 1 geographical area.

Conclusion

Our focused needs assessment of medical schools in the Chicago area reveals inconsistencies in outlined institution-specific course goals related to FSM and thus highlights the need for restructuring the curricula to prepare future physicians to recognize and treat patients with sexual dysfunction.

Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practice of sexual health among students in a Chinese medical college: a cross-sectional study

Background

Sexual health is an essential part of overall well-being, and medical students' sexual education, level of sexual knowledge, and attitudes toward sexual health will affect their sexual behavior.

Aim

To explore the correlation among medical decision tendency, sex education level, and sexual health KAP (knowledge, attitudes, and practices).

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional survey in March 2019. Data were collected via online surveys with a self-developed questionnaire covering sexual KAP and sexual education. We used Spearman correlation to assess the effect of sexual education on KAP after scoring the related questions.

Outcomes

Outcomes included descriptive analysis and correlation of medical and nursing students' KAP and education regarding sexual health.

Results

Medical and nursing students hold a high level of sexual knowledge (74.8%) and a positive attitude toward premarital sex (87.5%) and homosexuality (94.5%). By conducting the correlation analysis, we observed that medical and nursing students' tendency to support friends' homosexuality was positively correlated with the view that medical intervention for transgender or gay/lesbian people is unnecessary (P < .01). A positive correlation was also found between medical and nursing students who want more diverse sexual education and who would tend to provide patients with more humanistic care regarding their sexual needs (P < .01).

Clinical Translation

Medical and nursing students who want more diverse sexual education and who had higher scores in the sexual knowledge test tend to provide their patients with more humanistic care regarding sexual needs.

Strengths and Limitations

The research shows the current situation of medical and nursing students' sexual education experience and preference and sexual knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. Heat maps were used to more intuitively describe the correlation between medical students' characteristics and their sexual knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors and sex education. The results may not be generalizable across China, as the participants were from 1 medical school.

Conclusion

It is essential to provide sexual education for medical and nursing students to ensure a more humanistic approach to patient care regarding sexual needs; therefore, we recommend that medical schools invest in sexual education for medical and nursing students throughout their education.

Research on Cognition and Training Needs of Sex Education during Pregnancy among Obstetricians and Obstetric Nurses in Guangdong Province Based on Mixed Research Perspective

Objective

The purpose of this study was to understand the current status and existing responses of obstetricians and obstetric nurses in Guangdong Province regarding sex education during pregnancy and to understand their acceptance of sex education during pregnancy and the knowledge and information they would like to obtain in sex education courses.

Methods

A phenomenological research method was used to conduct in-depth interviews with 12 obstetricians and obstetric nurses in a tertiary hospital in Guangdong Province to understand their perceptions and attitudes toward providing sex education to pregnant women. A self-designed questionnaire was used to survey 462 obstetricians and obstetric nurses in Guangdong Province to understand their needs for sex education.

Results

Three themes were summarized: insufficient awareness of sex education during pregnancy; negative attitudes of obstetricians and obstetric nurses toward sex education during pregnancy; and the need for a long-term process for the development and popularization of sex education during pregnancy. We obtained the required scores of obstetricians and obstetric nurses on 11 aspects of sex education during pregnancy with a coefficient of variation ≤25%.

Conclusion

There is an urgent need to improve the awareness and related competencies of obstetricians and obstetric nurses about sex education during pregnancy, and the purpose and content of sex education courses should be in line with the clinical reality.

Sexual Health Teaching in Basic Science Courses Among Medical Students

Introduction

Sexuality is a multifaceted and makes up part of the lives of all individuals.

Aim

To evaluate the teaching of sexual health to students in the basic cycle of an undergraduate course in medicine.

Methods

A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted using primary data on the teaching of sexual health in the first 4 years of the course. The students were contacted personally and given a self-administrated questionnaire on the teaching of sexual health. The questionnaire was based on studies conducted with physicians and medical students regarding their educational background in sexual health. The degree of satisfaction regarding the learning process was determined using a ten-point scale; on which, a score of 1 to 5 indicated dissatisfaction and of 6 to 10 satisfaction.

Main outcome measures

The main outcome measure was a self-administered questionnaire addressing the teaching of sexual health in the first 4 years and how this knowledge affected relationships with patients.

Results

A total of 216 students answered the questionnaire. Only 27.27% and 22% of the students in the first and second years, respectively, reported having classes related to sexual medicine, whereas 38.1% (third year) and 54.40% (fourth year) had such classes. Regarding satisfaction, the weighted mean was 4.55 and the modes were 5 and 6. In the evaluation of their expectations about learning sexual health, 46 (67.6%) reported feeling non-confident, 18 (26.5%) did not answer the question, and 4 (5.9%) reported feeling confident.

Conclusion

This study revealed a gradual progression in the offer of content related to sexual medicine to students throughout the medicine course, with weighted means of 2.6 (first year), 2.82 (second year), 3.58 (third year), and 4.55 (fourth year). However, the findings indicate that the teaching of this subject remains deficient and students feel unsatisfied and unprepared for their future practice of medicine.

Teixeira Santos AU, Fava Spessoto LC, Fácio FN. Sexual Health Teaching in Basic Science Courses Among Medical Students. Sex Med 2021;9:100309.

Sexual health education among undergraduate students of medicine

Background

Sexuality occupies a fundamental position in the lives of individuals and is related to general health. However, undergraduate curricula in medical courses address this topic in an incomplete manner. The aim of this study is to investigate sexual health education among undergraduate medical students.

Methods

A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with students 18 years of age and older in the fifth and sixth years of the undergraduate course in medicine in 2018. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire addressing the teaching of sexual health in the first four years of the course and how knowledge on this topic affected their relationships with patients.

Results

A total of 125 students answered the questionnaire. Although the majority reported the teaching of sexual medicine during the undergraduate course, the classes were focused on reproduction (70%) and organic diseases (70%). A total of 52% of the respondents reported that the classes did not enhance their knowledge or confidence with regards to discussing the subject with patients. During routine care, the main difficulties the students faced in addressing the sexual health of patients were fear of offending the patient (53.8%) and insufficient knowledge on the subject (33.4%).

Conclusions

The present findings demonstrate that knowledge of students regarding sexual health in undergraduate courses is insufficient, as evidenced by deficiencies in teaching and difficulties in addressing the subject with patients.