The key to addressing these challenges is to become comfortable asking questions about sexuality. “During the audioconference, we will discuss communication strategies and give tips on how to overcome common concerns,” says Leong. “Just laying out that there are many dimensions to health, including sexuality, and letting the patient know it’s okay to speak about any of them is a good first step. You can ask, ‘Is arthritis [affecting] your family life, your sexual life, your personal life?’ If you start with a multiple-choice question, you can then follow up and drill down into what they’re experiencing.”
Participants will get some tools to take back to their patients to begin to approach this sensitive but important topic. Also on the agenda are a discussion of how to address the impact on partners, and a review of the existing body of research created in response to a national conference on sexuality and sexual behaviors convened by former Surgeon General David Satcher, MD. “What came out from that conference was a call to action to all healthcare professionals to begin to increase research on this topic, and to begin to address the subject with patients,” says Leong. As our understanding and approach to this issue develops, Leong is confident that we can make improvements in treating the whole patient.
