Table 3 Evaluation of sexual health educational interventions
Authors | Target Population | Intervention Objectives | Methods | Behavioral change outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Rosen R, [25] | Senior residents | Confidence in taking a SHH | Self-reported evaluation | comfort levels regarding obtaining a sexual health history—90% improved managing sexual health problems—56% improved |
Cushing A, [55] | Fourth-year medical students | Attitudes, Intentions, Behavior changing | Self-reported evaluation, one-year follow-up | Out of 92% of participants reported behavioral change with proportional distribution among clinical settings: Obstetrics & Gynecology (82%) and Infectious disease (75%) were the most asked settings, while Internal medicine (18.4%) and Surgical (8.8%) were the most minor reported settings |
Loeb DF, [26] | Medical residents | Rates of SHH and specific component documentation | Chart reviewed | Rates of sexual health history documented were improved after the intervention (p < .01*) The mean of sexual health-specific components increased after the intervention (p < .01*), with more frequent documented components of: Current sexual activity (17.1% pre vs. 20.7% post-intervention) Number of current partners (12.7% pre vs. 16.9% post-intervention) Sexual behaviors (0.8% pre vs. 1.5% post) Contraception (4.9% pre vs. 6.5% post) History of sexually transmitted infections (4.6% pre vs. 7.3% post) Issues with sexual performance (2.4% pre; vs. 6.5% post) History of abuse (1.36% pre vs. 2.3% post) |
Zabar S, [27] | Health professionals | Communication skills Clinical performance | OSCE (pre-post test), only one simulation on SHH taking Chart review(pre-post) | Pre-post changes found in communication follow domains: (not specific for sexual health skills) Data gathering (p = .003) Rapport building (p = .001) Patient education (p = .02) Clinical performance (only one question was specific to sexual health) Improvement was found in the question about the current patient activity (p = .002) |
Wang LY, [28] | Health professionals | Frequency of addressing cancer- relating sexual health issues | Self-reported survey | Significant improvement in the frequency of addressing sexual health issues in all domains between pre and post-intervention: Bringing up (18.3% pre; vs. 45.2% post; p = .001**) Coordinating care (19.7% pre; vs. 57.1% post; p < .001**) Provision of sexual health during the diagnosis/treatment (19% pre vs. 60% post; p < .0001**) and in the surveillance phase (23.2% pre vs. 51.6% post; p = .003*) |
McBain L, [54] | Medical students | Confidence, comfort levels, and skills in performing a genital examination | Self–reported questionnaire Pre-post intervention and 1-year cohort | Skills, Confidence, and Comfort levels were improved (p < .001**), with higher range scores for female exam compared to a man |
Ross MW, [47] | Nursing and midwifery students | Knowledge Communication skills Attitude | Self-reported survey | Knowledge and communication skills improved in all domains Attitudes toward anal sex and abortion were not changed after the intervention |
Frasca K, [34] | Internal medicine residents | Behavioral change in sexual history taking | A qualitative method, self-reported assessment | 6/8 participants applied the new skills to their clinical practice Five reported they planned to include sexual history-taking skills in future practice |
White BP, [37] |  | Confidence Comfort preparedness | Self–reported assessment | Overall preparedness to provide comprehensive sexual health care improved from (M = 2.84, SD = 1.17) to (M = 4.37, SD = 0.49), CI 1.50 [1.03, 1.97], p < 0.5*) Comfort in initiating discussions about sexual health with patients improved from (M = 3.43, SD = 1.19) to (M = 4.40, SD = 0.89), CI 0.97 [ 0.45 – 1.48], p < 0.5* Confidence providing sexual health improved from (M = 3.13, SD = 1.01) to (M = 4.40, SD = 0.68), CI 1.27 [0.88 – 1.66], p < 0.5* |
Roth LT, [42] | Medicine residents | impact on clinical practice | Self–reported assessment, based on Kirkpatric Model | Clinical practice changes are reported in the following domains: 40% Asked about sexual identity (72% to 88.4%, p = .02) 40% asked about gender identity (23.3% to 43.5%, p = .02) |
Mert – Karadas M, [51] | Nursing students | Communication skills and SSH taking | Online OSCE Students conducted individual interviews and recorded the sexual history taken | The study found an improvement in Effective communication skills median scores in the post-test (97.00 [87.00–99.00], p < .001**) compared to the pre-test (80.50 [64.00–92.00]) Reproductive SHH-taking skills improved from (70.52 [42.32–95.50]) in the pre-test to (93.51 [64.00–100.00], p < .001**) in the post-test |