MOST DOCTORS HESISTATE BUT SHOULD TAKE SEXUAL HISTORY DUE TO RISING STDs & SEX WEAKNESS

Prof.Dr.Dram,profdrram@gmail.com,Gastro Intestinal,Liver Hiv,Hepatitis and sex diseases expert 7838059592,943414355    www.blogspot.com/drnakipuria     www.bhartiyanews24x7.com    www.bhartiyanews24x7.net

Despite health dangers such sexually transmitted diseases and infections being on the rise and Sex failure due to ED or Diabetes or Neuro sychiatric Diseases,physicians rarely ask their patients about sex. It may not be a comfortable process, but working on your sexual history-taking skills can benefit both our practice and the health of our patients.Our ability to comprehensively elicit a sexual history depends on our relationship with the patient. Every new patient should have an initial sexual history taken as part of the social history.This initial history includes age of first sexual experience, biological sex of partners, types of sexual practices,loss of sexual desire or Libido,frequency of masturbation,Failure of erection,Early Discharge history of sexually transmitted infections,safe sex practices, and method of birth control used.

                If we see statistics of USA,rates of sexually transmitted diseases and infections are increasing instead of decreasing. Rates of syphilis, for instance, are breaking historic records nationally. The rate among all Americans increased 73% from 2013 to 2017, and jumped 156% in women during the same period.Despite such health dangers, physicians rarely ask about sex. In contrast, nearly all physicians ask about smoking history, despite that only about 15% of US adults are current smokers.

Eliciting a patient’s sexual history is a sensitive manner that should be taken seriously. To begin with, appropriate bedside manner is absolutely necessary.Before the interview, it’s important to take a few minutes to get prepared. Keep in mind the following during this time of reflection:

1.Remain nonjudgmental
2.Assure confidentiality
3.Be specific and direct with questions, such as:“Do you have sex with men, women, or both?”
4.“Do you identify as gay, straight, or bisexual?”
5.“How many sexual partners have you had in the past 12 months?”
6.Ask about sexually transmitted infections and diseases; if the patient looks confused, ask about symptoms related to each
7.Ask about preventive and sexual risk behaviors (eg, type of birth control being used)
8.Avoid assumptions based on a patient’s characteristics
9.Discuss situations that may put the patient at increased risk, such as substance misuse, to develop a blueprint for later action
Next, it’s important to trace a history of the present illness. Specific questions to ask include:

A.Does the issue occur during masturbation or while with a partner?
B.Is the issue situational or generalized?
C.What influence does the issue have on your or your partner’s quality of life?
D.What strategies or medications have you used to address the problem?
 Brief symptom checklists are useful while taking sexual histories. In women, for example, items in a brief symptoms checklist could include assessment of interest in sex, genital sensation, lubrication, ability to achieve orgasm, and the presence of pain during sex.Keep in mind that various health conditions can affect sexual health, including:

Cardiovascular disease
Cancer
Diabetes
Hyperlipidemia
Hypertension
Neurological conditions
Endocrine deficiencies
Psychiatric disorders
Benign prostatic hypertrophy (men) or gynecological disease (women)
Consider whether the patient would benefit from specialized referral, including consultation with a marriage counselor or sex therapist.

We should ask about of HIV too.Although rates of HIV are decreasing, these reductions are uneven, and some communities are still hard hit. Moreover, rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis are on the rise—all of which can increase a patient’s risk for HIV infection.Carefully consider whether the patient will benefit from HIV counseling. For instance, black men who identify as gay have a 50% lifetime risk of becoming HIV-positive.

When discussing HIV, it’s important to find out whether the patient has any concerns about possible infection. If so, you can then present pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, as an option to prevent infection.