What are the Barriers that prevent individuals from accessing Sexual Health Education?
What can Health Care Professionals do to overcome these barriers?
|
- Embarrassment/Concerns about Confidentiality
- Lack of Time
- Not Interested
- Transportation
- Not knowing where Services are located
According to Wilson & Williams (2000), the main themes to emerge from the questionnaires were a low level of awareness of services outside general practice and pharmacy, specific concerns about each relating to accessibility, embarrassment, and confidentiality. Major barriers included fears about embarrassment, confidentiality, and being examined. These were particularly high in sexually active females. Over half of all sexually active respondents and over three-quarters of those not sexually active were unaware of all but general practitioner services. Transport was also cited as a barrier by one-third of respondents.
It is important to consider the effects of age, gender, culture, and sexual history on the barriers preventing individuals from accessing sexual health clinics. As embarrassment was a concern for a majority of participants in a variety of studies, there needs to be further research on this area to identify the reasons for students being embarrassed about sexual health issues. Increased efforts are needed to diminish the barrier of embarrassment for individuals when discussing sexual health with a healthcare professional.
- Many individuals do not access sexual health information because they simply do not know of a clinic that is accessible in their community. The location barrier prevents individual, couples, and families from addressing a variety of sexual needs or concerns. There needs to be more public awareness on the locations of sexual health clinics to eliminate this barrier. Awareness through the internet, television, and posters displayed in public places are all ways of increasing awareness of availble sexual health clinics.Health care professionals can increase awareness through providing their clients with resources in the community.
- All too often, sexual health is overlooked or ignored in the health care system. The most common reasons for not providing sexual health care services include anxiety with regard to discussing sexuality with patients, inadequate training in the area of sexual health care, lack of appropriate curriculum, and the belief that it is someone else's responsibility. Compounding the problem are societal attitudes towards sexuality and misconceptions about sexuality as it relates to people with disabilities, chronic illness, children, older adults, and those who just do not fit the media stereotype of sexy. Silence about sexual health related issues has made access to sexual health care from traditional sources difficult resulting in unnecessary suffering for many but especially for people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and even natural changes associated with growing older.
- Health Care professionals are in excellent positions to provide access to sexuality information, education, mutual support, counseling, therapy, healthcare, products and other resources for all individuals throughout the lifecycle and those who love them or care for them.
|
