Bridging Gaps in Adolescent and Adult Sexual Health: Training Medical Students as Educators

The absence of a nationally standardized sexual health curriculum leads to inconsistent adolescent education on contraception, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and other critical topics, leaving healthcare professionals the responsibility to fill this gap. Medical training also lacks standardized curricula in sexual health counseling; therefore many medical trainees report hesitancy in sexual health communication. This study evaluated the efficacy of a structured Sexual Health Educator Training Program in improving medical students' confidence in sexual health communication, cultural competency, and legislative awareness.

In collaboration with the Florida Healthy Youth Alliance, 95 medical students at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine participated in a two-hour interactive training that included lectures, case-based scenarios, and collaborative discussions. Pre- and post-training surveys assessed confidence in eight domains of sexual health counseling.  Results: Confidence significantly improved across all measured sexual health counseling domains (p < 0.001). Students reported increased confidence in conducting sexual health conversations with adolescents and adults, counseling on contraception and STI prevention, and approaching discussions with cultural and religious sensitivity. On average, there was a 45% increase in students reporting high confidence across competencies.

Given the results of this research, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine - Bradenton has integrated the training into its Human Sexuality Course. This ensures the continued development of students' competencies in sexual health communication and sets a precedent for other institutions to follow. These findings highlight the importance of standardized sexual health education training in equipping future physicians with the skills, cultural awareness, and confidence necessary for effective adolescent sexual and reproductive health counseling.