🎵”Let’s talk about sex baby”🎶♋️
While the band Salt n Peppa had the best of intentions when coming up with the lyrics of this song, it never ceases to surprise me how little educated or aware people are about their sexual health.
Though we now have come a long way in how sex education is addressed in schools, in many parts of the world, talking about sex is still considered very taboo, dirty and frowned upon. I come from such a cultural background, was never given any sex education in school or by my parents and had zero clue about not only the mechanics but also the consequences of not protecting myself. Its a miracle and real achievement that I’ve never had a pregnancy or STD scare despite that (and I’d like to keep it that way till my last breath)
I’ve heard countess stories of patients who never understood the reasons behind blood first coming out of their pelvic area, mistaking pregnancy for stomach cramps, changes to their body post puberty, what consent is and isn’t and generally how to maintain the health of their reproductive organs.
Schools and parents obviously are the first point of call in covering the basics of sexual health for people under 18. However, as healthcare professionals, we have an equal responsibility to our patients to educate them on the topic when possible. Below are some tips I would recommend in doing so :
✅Don’t be awkward around young patients when talking about menstruation and sexual activity. Using alternative words will only make it more taboo or uncomfortable around them when all of this should be normalised.
✅Raise awareness about different contraceptives patients can use, the consequences of unprotected sex, the importance of consent and individual rights during intercourse
✅Recommend patients to any tests or screenings they need to do regularly in order to prevent cancers and other diseases of their reproductive organs
✅Give patients opportunities to ask questions without any inhibitions and answer them openly and honestly
Thanks Shivam Jha for coming up with this idea 😊
If you as a healthcare professional could use some guidance on how to effectively communicate with your patients about more awkward and tabooed topics regarding their health, schedule a complimentary 30 minute discovery call to see how I can best support you
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