Sexual Health Flashcards
What are the 5 Factors Influencing Sexual Health?
1) Individual
2) Family
3) Community
4) Determinants of Health
5) Governmental Policy
How does the ‘Individual’ affect Sexual Health?
- sexual health.
- Sexual self-concept - the cognitive perspective concerning the sexual aspects of ‘self’ and refers to the individual’s self-perception as a sexual creature
- a major component of sexual health and the core of sexuality
How does Family affect Sexual Health?
- Family units impacts a child/adolescent understanding of sexuality.
- this concept is interconnected to culture
How does the Community affect Sexual Health?
- Consider where you live: do you have easy access to sexual health resources and clinics?
- Do you live in a small town where you may be afraid of someone ‘finding out’ you would like to access birth control?
- Do you live in an urban setting that allows for easy transportation to health services related to sexual health?
- Are the demographics of your community supportive of sexual and gender diversity?
How do the determinants of health affect Sexual Health?
- Socioeconomic status - affordability of health care, prescriptions for sexual health purposes
- Biological sex - women have less access to resources than men, as well as more burden related to the outcomes of sexual health practices (ie birth control, pregnancy risk)
- Health literacy - what do we know, believe, or can research related to sexual health
What 5 Components of Sexual Health Need to be Assessed in Sexual Risk Assessment?
- Partners
○ #, gender, and HIV status of partners over given time - Practices
○ Types of sexual practices - oral, vaginal, anal - Past history of STD’s
○ History of repeat infections, risk for HIV and Hepatitis - Protection from STI’s
○ Use of condoms, other barrier methods, and use of PrEP, or PEP - Pregnancy Plans
○ Desire for pregnancy and/or use of prevention methods (ask MEN too)
When is conducting a sexual health history appropriate?
- Although sexual health is very important to a patient’s overall health it may not always be relevant to what you are seeing the patient for
- If the patient is seeking care related to a sexual health/reproductive concerns (sexually transmitted infection concern, pregnancy etc) than it is relevant
Why is language and non-verbal cues important when conducting a SH Assessment?
- It is important to build rapport with your client prior to asking sensitive questions
- Start by reflecting on your own comfort level.
- ensure body language and facial expressions do not relay unintended messages
Proper SH Terminology
Sexual orientation
○ Lesbian
○ Gay
○ Bisexual
○ Queer
Gender identity
○ Transgender
○ Intersex
Two-spirit
○ Someone who identifies with having both a masculine and feminine identity
Asexual - people who do not experience sexual attraction
Bisexual/Pansexual - attraction to a person, regardless of gender
- Pansexual emphasizes the rejection of binary identities
Gender fluid: having a gender identity that changes
Gender diverse: people whose gender identity, expression or transition differs from what is expected
Non-binary - umbrella term for gender identities outside the gender binary
Key points to ensuring a productive sexual health conversation
- Avoid moral/religious judgement of patient behaviour
- Avoid terms that assume sexual behaviour/orientation (ie. “How many partners have you had in the past year:. Instead ask “are you monagmous”)
- Ensure shared understanding around terminology for patient concerns to avoid confusion
- Establish rapport and consent before addressing sensitive topics
- Respect patients right to decline answering questions or sharing information
- Use a sensitive tone that normalizes topics you are discussing
- Use neutral and inclusive terms that avoid assumptions about orientations (ie. Partner)
What is a Chaperone?
Chaperone - you may be asked to be in the room with a practitioner.
- the role of a chaperone is acting as a support and witness for a patient and a provider during a sensitive exam or procedure (This may be at the request of the practitioner, or the patient)
