[Adolescents and sexuality in family practice. A pilot study]

It is well established that teenagers are generally dissatisfied with the sexual education they receive from school and parents. While several alternative sources of sex counselling have been suggested (i.e. an anonymous and semi-official telephone hot-line), the role of the general practitioner in sexual guidance of youngsters is only poorly evaluated. One hundred and sixty-eight teenage callers of "The Adolescent Sexuality Hot-line" were asked about their experience with sexual counselling by their family doctor. One third had actually discussed such topics with their g.p., and a total of 44.6% (significantly more girls than boys) regarded their g.p. as a desirable interlocutor on these issues. The reasons for having approached a g.p. for counselling differed according to gender, as did the causes for not wanting to involve a g.p. in sexual matters: boys tended to state shyness and lack of anonymity as main causes, whereas girls more often pointed to personal aspects of the doctor.