Do gynecologists talk about sexual dysfunction with their patients?

Area of Science:

• Gynecology
• Sexual Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is highly prevalent, affecting 12-80% of women.
• Limited data exists on how gynecologists manage FSD in clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess Swiss gynecologists' approaches to addressing sexual problems in outpatients.
• To understand their attitudes towards integrating sexual health into routine gynecological care.

Main Methods:

• A modified 19-item questionnaire was distributed to 856 Swiss gynecologists.
• The survey collected data on routine practices, management strategies, and attitudes towards sexual health.

Main Results:

• A 39.8% response rate (341 physicians) was achieved.
• Only 40.4% had any sexual medicine training; 7.9% routinely discussed sexual issues with most patients.
• Dyspareunia was the most reported sexual dysfunction (77.1%); patient motivation was cited as a key barrier (63.3%).

Conclusions:

• Sexual problems are recognized as important in gynecology but not routinely addressed.
• Gynecologists are more likely to consider hormonal factors than psychosocial ones when discussing sexual health.