School of Health, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, 4556, Australia.
Health Ed, Sydney, Australia.
Arch Sex Behav. 2024 Nov;53(10):4099-4116. doi: 10.1007/s10508-024-02994-3. Epub 2024 Sep 23.
Sexual health, including sexual pleasure, is fundamental to holistic health and well-being, and is considered an area of priority health in Australia. Despite the importance of sexual functioning, women experience significant gaps in sexual well-being compared to men and often do not seek medical care or treatment. Health practitioners are central to the identification and treatment of sexual dysfunction, including fostering sexual well-being for patients. Despite this, minimal research has explored health practitioners' experiences in treating reports of unpleasant sex. This study aimed to explore health practitioners' experiences, responses, and confidence in treating patients presenting for unpleasant sexual experiences. An online, mixed-methods survey was completed by 96 participants. Thematic analysis identified 11 core themes. These themes included five patient centred themes (health risks, diverse sex acts, painful vaginal intercourse, relationship breakdown and violence, unwanted sex) and six health practitioner centred themes (communication and counselling, what is normal, ongoing care and follow up, emotional response, limited practical training, and highly prevalent). Participants described a complex sexual health landscape, with social contexts impacting women's sexual experiences and engagement in treatment. Additionally, health practitioners reported the need for a biopsychosocial approach to understanding and responding to unpleasant sexual experiences for patients, while simultaneously reporting limited education in this area. Findings reflect the need for health practitioners to be cognisant of matters related to sexual function, consent, coercion, client engagement, and treatment pathways, identifying a need for greater education and holistic approaches to sexual healthcare across medical settings.
性健康，包括性愉悦，是整体健康和幸福的基础，在澳大利亚被视为优先健康领域。尽管性功能很重要，但与男性相比，女性在性健康方面存在显著差距，而且她们往往不会寻求医疗保健或治疗。医疗保健从业者是识别和治疗性功能障碍的核心，包括为患者促进性健康。尽管如此，几乎没有研究探讨过医疗保健从业者在治疗不愉快性经历报告方面的经验。本研究旨在探讨医疗保健从业者在治疗出现不愉快性经历的患者方面的经验、反应和信心。通过在线混合方法调查，共有 96 名参与者完成了调查。主题分析确定了 11 个核心主题。这些主题包括五个以患者为中心的主题（健康风险、不同的性行为、阴道交疼痛、关系破裂和暴力、不想要的性行为）和六个以医疗保健从业者为中心的主题（沟通和咨询、什么是正常、持续护理和随访、情绪反应、有限的实践培训和高度普遍存在）。参与者描述了一个复杂的性健康状况，社会背景影响着女性的性体验和治疗参与。此外，医疗保健从业者报告说，需要采用生物心理社会方法来理解和回应患者的不愉快性经历，同时报告说在这方面的教育有限。研究结果反映出医疗保健从业者需要了解与性功能、同意、胁迫、客户参与和治疗途径相关的问题，需要在医疗环境中加强性健康护理的教育和整体方法。
