SUMMARY

‘Both research and consultations over the last decades have identified sexuality-related communication as an issue that requires urgent attention. While clients would like their health-care providers to discuss sexual health concerns, health workers lack the necessary training and knowledge to feel comfortable addressing such issues. This guideline provides health policy-makers and decision-makers in health professional training institutions with advice on the rationale for health-care providers’ use of counselling skills to address sexual health concerns in a primary health care setting.

The publication makes two main recommendations:

1. BSC [Behavioural and Social Change] is recommended for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections among adults and adolescents in primary health services

Quality of evidence: low – moderate

Strength of recommendation: strong

2. Training of health-care providers in sexual health knowledge and in the skills of brief sexuality-related communication is recommended.

Quality of evidence: low – very low

Strength of recommendation: strong

SELECTED EXTRACTS (selected by Neil PW)

‘The ability of people to achieve sexual health and well-being depends, among other things, on their access to comprehensive information about sexuality, their knowledge about the risks they face, and their vulnerability to the adverse consequences of sexual activity. To achieve sexual health, people also need opportunities for social support, access to good-quality sexual health care (i.e. addressing all elements of sexual health according to the WHO working definition, including products and materials), and an environment that affirms and promotes sexual health for all. These include counselling and communication programmes.’

‘Adolescents have the right to seek and receive information. In the absence of the information, support and skills needed to promote and protect their health and well-being, adolescents can suffer harms such as stigma, sadness, shame, guilt and anxiety, as well as STIs and unintended pregnancies.’

The full text is freely available here:

http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/170251/1/9789241549004_eng.pdf?ua=1

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Best wishes, Neil

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