Communicating in sexual matter. Informative questionnaire during professional training course
Objective
Communication in sexology is always a hard matter because the terapist must listen to and inform the patient and in the same time take care of him : so that the concept of “communication” have to change in “communi-care “. Uroandrological departments and ambulatory outpatients represent a challenge both in case of anamnesis collection , explanation of side effects and complications of drugs, surgery and in case of physical exam or nursing .
Materials and Methods
During a professional training course about “communi-care “ held on october 2016 a simple 8 items questionnaire was submitted to all participants :
1)Do you think that sex is important in your life?
2) Do you feel to have "sexological problems" in this moment ?
3) Are there sexological questions to which do you like to have answers?
4) Do you consult a specialist to deepen any curiosity or sexual problem?
5) Have you any trouble talking about sex ?
6) Have you any trouble talking about sex with your partner?
7) Do your personal sexological problems affect your professional activities ?
8) Do your personal sexological problems affect your dialogue with patients?
AIM of the questionnaire is the evaluation of the sexual status and feeling about sex of the participants and the relevance of sexual matters and personal problems in approaching patients
76 participants of professional training course: 14 males , 52 females ,10 not decleared sex;
13 medical doctors, 41 nurses, 4 psychologists , 5 other professional workers 13 not decleared profession, aged 23 -64 years
Results
item 1 :yes 72/76 (94.7 %)
item 2 : no 60/76 (78,9 %)
item 3: yes 53/76 (69.7 %)
item 4 : no 42/76 (55,2 %)
item 5 : no 63/76 (82,8 %)
item 6 : no 68/76 (89,4 %)
item 7 : no 73/76 (96 %)
item 8 : no 75/76 (98,6 %)
Discussions
78,9 % of the participants decleared NO "sexological problems", BUT 69.7% YES : had to ask some sexological questions
Females seem to have more sexological problems (25 % versus 14.3% of the male) and have more questions to be answered (77 % versus 57.1 % of the male )
Furthermore females decleared a bit more trouble talking about sex (18.8 % versus 7.2% of the male)
100 % of the male decleared NO trouble in talking about sex either with the partner or with patients
Only 1 male and 1 female decleared that personal sexological problems affected professional activity and the dialogue with the patient respectively : the others showed very clear and strong positions thinking and feeling about communication in sex. Perhaps this strong unanimuos response may hide any psychological resistances or underlying problems?
Conclusion
Discrepancy revealed by an accurate analysis of the answers underlines the importance of treating sexual matters in uroandrological environment and in the same time a kind of personal psychological involvement by health care staff: so sexological informations is needed togheter with a basical sexological training
Reference
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