(268) Does Medical School Prepare Doctors to Treat Sexual Health?

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Sexual function is a normative process warranting the equal attention of preventive and treatment services throughout the lifespan. Despite growing recognition of the value of human sexuality in clinical settings, there is no standardized sexual wellness curriculum universally administered in medical schools. Accordingly, many current and future physicians feel underprepared when taking care of patients’ sexual health needs. Objective Assess and strengthen sexual health knowledge among medical students in Miami. Methods In February 2020 and March 2021, medical students at a large university in South Florida requested a brief sexual health workshop to enhance their knowledge in this domain of patient care. The workshop provided an introductory overview of the physiology of sexual pleasure and functioning. The curriculum was developed and taught by an associate professor of medicine who directs the university’s sexual wellness consortium and is formally certified as a clinical sexologist. Prior to the workshop, a brief survey was conducted to understand medical students’ experience with sexuality education and identify gaps in training. Post workshop another survey was administered evaluating content as well as instructor proficiency. Results Among 62 participants who completed a pre-workshop survey, less than 30% reported being trained to query patients on sexual dysfunction, and just 8% were trained to assess sexual satisfaction. In the post workshop survey, 95% of participants believed the workshop increased their knowledge of sexual functioning and its physiologic markers and nearly all would also recommend the session to other students. Conclusions Increased sexual health training in medical schools has the potential to better prepare future physicians to serve patients’ diverse sexual health needs and improve patient outcomes. Disclosure No