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Fear Of Talking Sex With Docs
(05/04/2004) by Unknown
Reprinted from Vol. XVIII, No. 2 (c) 1999 DKT International, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. All Rights Reserved. July, 1999
A telephone survey of 500 Americans over age 25 found that both men and women fear discussing sexual problems with their doctors because of concerns that physicians would be embarrassed with the topic.
A study conducted for the Partnership for Women’s Health at Columbia University in New York found that 68 percent of those polled worry that their physicians would be uncomfortable discussing sexual issues, with 75 percent of women expressing such concerns compared to 61 percent of men.
“Physicians need to detoxify the sexual subject for themselves and learn more about the physiology of normal sexual experiences. This should be taught in medical schools,” said Dr. Marianne J. Legato of Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons in New York.
Survey respondents also believe that sexual problems have an impact on a number of medical issues, including depression (91 percent), emotional stress (93 percent), poor self-image (88 percent) and extramarital affairs and marriage breakups (91 percent). A total of 71 percent said they feel the media provides sufficient information on men’s sexual problems while only 58 percent said there is enough coverage about disorders affecting female sexual function.
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