Nova Scotia high school students' interactions with physicians for sexual health information and services

To support a community effort to establish a health service in a Nova Scotia high school, adolescents' sexual behaviours and use of physicians for sexual health services were assessed.

A self-completion survey asked students about sexual behaviours, use of physician services and barriers to use of those services.

Only 8.7% of male and 37.9% of female students with family physicians had discussed with the physician whether they were sexually experienced (p < 0.0001). More females had discussed sexual activity when the physician was female than when the physician was male (43.7% vs. 35.1%; p < 0.05). More sexually experienced females who had not discussed this behaviour with their physicians identified specific issues as barriers to discussion.

Female physicians discuss sexual activity more with their adolescent female patients than do male physicians. The results support the need to provide health services in addition to those of physicians to meet the sexual health needs of adolescents.