014 Do experts for vulva diseases integrate sexual health problems in daily diasease-managment _ self-assessment results at the 10th anniversary of the interdisciplinarey Vulva-Workshop, VIVE-EV_Graz, September 2017

Abstract

Vulvodynia and other vulvar disease have a high probability of influencing patients’ sexual function. Therefore, taking care of sexual issues is an important part of taking care for patients with vulvar diseases. We wanted to assess the approach towards patients’ sexual health of physicians taking part in an advanced training course for vulvar diseases. At the annual meeting of the Interdisciplinary Interest Group for Diseases of the Vulva (VIVE E.V.) in Austria in September 2017, 19 of the 120 the participants self-assessed the integration of sexual health in their daily patient care routine (return-rate 15%). Beside demographic information, the 24-item self-assessment included questions regarding their attitude towards and methods of managing patients’ sexual issues. 63% of the participants from Austria, Germany and Switzerland were female. Their experience in managing vulva diseases was more than 21 years in 32% and 6-10 years in 21%. 37% of the respondents actively ask up to 20% of the patients about sexual problems, 32% between 81 and 100%. 53% stated that they were asked by up to 20% and 26% by 21-40 % of the patients about sexual issues. The 4 main causes mentioned as reasons for not discussing sexual problems were: lack of time (63%), other topics more important (58%), barrier of language (32%), patient’s age (16%), religion (16%) and culture (16%). The main options offered in case of sexual problems were: information on physiology of sexual function and referral to other specialist (58%, respectively), special appointments regarding sexual medicine (53%), hormone therapy (47%), pain therapy (37%), counseling the couple (26%), and psychotherapy (16%). 37% of the participants hold the Sexual Medicine Diploma of the Austrian Medical Chamber.