“Be a resource, be a confidant, be an educator”: Exploring primary care provider perspectives on patient-provider sexual and reproductive health discussions
Description
Discussing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is an important, but sometimes neglected, part of the primary care visit. Some physicians express that they lack the appropriate training to ask the right questions. Nevertheless, the lack of patient-provider SRH discussions can be detrimental to patient health. Thus, understanding the views of primary care providers (PCPs) related to these discussions is crucial to improving medical training to improve patient care. The aim of this exploratory study was to examine providers perspectives and experiences related to discussing SRH with patients. Utilizing an online survey of practicing PCPs, our primary objective was to examine providers’ training in and comfort with discussing a variety of SRH-related topics. Open-ended questions further explored providers’ perceived roles, challenges, and the ways their backgrounds inform their approach to SRH-specific care. Chi-squares and correlation analyses, and thematic analysis of open-ended responses were used to analyze the data. Respondents believed that their medical training, on average, prepared them moderately well to discuss SRH with their patients. Responding PCPs were most comfortable discussing whether a patient was sexually active, condoms/contraception, and STIs, and least comfortable discussing difficulties with sexual desire/orgasm, LGBTQ+-specific concerns and intimate partner violence with patients. Written responses revealed that providers overwhelmingly view SRH discussions as part of whole-person care, but time and provider background, among other factors, impact their approach to these discussions. In conclusion, these findings suggest a need for enhanced training/continuing education related to SRH topics. Implications for clinicians and medical institutions will be discussed.
Citation Information
Westendorp, Madeline and Patterson Perry, Callie, "“Be a resource, be a confidant, be an educator”: Exploring primary care provider perspectives on patient-provider sexual and reproductive health discussions" (2026). Office of Research DMU Research Symposium. 15.
https://digitalcommons.dmu.edu/researchsymposium/2025rs/2025abstracts/15
“Be a resource, be a confidant, be an educator”: Exploring primary care provider perspectives on patient-provider sexual and reproductive health discussions
Discussing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is an important, but sometimes neglected, part of the primary care visit. Some physicians express that they lack the appropriate training to ask the right questions. Nevertheless, the lack of patient-provider SRH discussions can be detrimental to patient health. Thus, understanding the views of primary care providers (PCPs) related to these discussions is crucial to improving medical training to improve patient care. The aim of this exploratory study was to examine providers perspectives and experiences related to discussing SRH with patients. Utilizing an online survey of practicing PCPs, our primary objective was to examine providers’ training in and comfort with discussing a variety of SRH-related topics. Open-ended questions further explored providers’ perceived roles, challenges, and the ways their backgrounds inform their approach to SRH-specific care. Chi-squares and correlation analyses, and thematic analysis of open-ended responses were used to analyze the data. Respondents believed that their medical training, on average, prepared them moderately well to discuss SRH with their patients. Responding PCPs were most comfortable discussing whether a patient was sexually active, condoms/contraception, and STIs, and least comfortable discussing difficulties with sexual desire/orgasm, LGBTQ+-specific concerns and intimate partner violence with patients. Written responses revealed that providers overwhelmingly view SRH discussions as part of whole-person care, but time and provider background, among other factors, impact their approach to these discussions. In conclusion, these findings suggest a need for enhanced training/continuing education related to SRH topics. Implications for clinicians and medical institutions will be discussed.
