Assessment of physicians’ addressing sexuality in elderly patients with chronic pain

Abstract

Objective To determine the frequency with which physicians address their older adult patients with chronic pain about the issue of sexuality. Methods It is a cross sectional, descriptive, analytical study in which physicians answered a questionnaire comprising questions related to addressing the issue of sexuality during appointments.Results A sample of 155 physicians was obtained, 63.9% stated they did not address sexuality in medical interviews and 23.2% did it most of the time. The main reasons for not addressing were lack of time, fear of embarrassing the patient and technical inability to address the issue.Conclusion There is a need to develop strategies to increase and improve addressing of sexuality in elderly patients with chronic pain, in order to have better quality of life.

A comprehensive review of sexual health concerns after cancer treatment and the biopsychosocial treatment options available to female patients

“…Cultural background and varying degrees of comfort regarding discussion of sexual health concerns have also been found to impact the likelihood that clinicians will engage in communication with patients (Hordern & Street, 2007b). Furthermore, evidence suggests that healthcare providers' assumptions about the sexuality of older adults frequently prevent the initiation of discussions about sexual health issues, though research in cancer patient populations is quite limited (Cherpak & Santos, 2016;Laumann & Waite, 2008;Schover, 2014;Stead et al, 2007). Although older adult women report experiences of distressing sexual health issues, research indicates that physicians often fail to recognise or inquire about sex-and sexualityrelated concerns in this population (Cherpak & Santos, 2016;Stead et al, 2007).…”

“…Furthermore, evidence suggests that healthcare providers' assumptions about the sexuality of older adults frequently prevent the initiation of discussions about sexual health issues, though research in cancer patient populations is quite limited (Cherpak & Santos, 2016;Laumann & Waite, 2008;Schover, 2014;Stead et al, 2007). Although older adult women report experiences of distressing sexual health issues, research indicates that physicians often fail to recognise or inquire about sex-and sexualityrelated concerns in this population (Cherpak & Santos, 2016;Stead et al, 2007). It is suggested that healthcare providers, both within and outside of oncology, receive appropriate training and resources to promote effective, sensitive communication with patients about sexual health concerns Haboubi & Lincoln, 2003;Hordern & Street, 2007a;Reese et al, 2017;Robinson, Lounsberry, & Walker, 2017;Sporn et al, 2014;Stead et al, 2003;Vermeer et al, 2015).…”

The relationships among self-efficacy, social support, and self-care behavior in the elderly patients with chronic pain (a STROBE-compliant article)

“…With the aging of the population, the incidences of chronic diseases, neurologcal disease and mental diseases are increasing. [ 1 ] Self-care behavior can effectively alleviate the influence of chronic pain on patients’ health. [ 2 ] Social support can increase self-care behavior and reduce chronic pain complications in elderly patients with chronic pain.…”

The Physicians’ Attitudes and Barriers to Proactive Sexual History Taking During Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment

“…For older adults, it is an important contributing factor to the quality of life and successful ageing (1). Yet, it remains a neglected issue by both the patient and the physician during health assessment (2,3).…”

“…Against the popular belief that older adults lack sexual desires or that they are physically unable to perform (2), many adults remain sexually active into later life (3), even though many age related physiological changes, comorbid medical disorders, medications, and psychosocial factors might interfere with the sexual performance among older patients (4).…”