Danish Health Professional Students' Attitudes Toward Addressing Sexual Health: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Helle Gerbild; Camilla Marie Larsen; Tina Junge; Birgitte Schantz Laursen; Kristina Areskoug-Josefsson

doi:10.1016/j.esxm.2021.100323

Danish Health Professional Students' Attitudes Toward Addressing Sexual Health: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Sex Med. 2021 Apr;9(2):100323. doi: 10.1016/j.esxm.2021.100323. Epub 2021 Mar 3.

Authors

Helle Gerbild¹, Camilla Marie Larsen², Tina Junge², Birgitte Schantz Laursen³, Kristina Areskoug-Josefsson⁴

Affiliations

¹ Health Science Research Centre, UCL University College, Odense, Denmark; Center for Sexology Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark. Electronic address: heng@ucl.dk.
² Health Science Research Centre, UCL University College, Odense, Denmark; Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics; University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
³ Center for Sexology Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark; Clinical Nursing Research Unit, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.
⁴ School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping Academy for Improvement of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden; Department for Behavioural Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway; VID Specialized University, Faculty of Health Studies, Oslo, Norway.

Abstract

Introduction: Danish health professional (HP) students' attitudes toward addressing sexual health are unknown.

Aim: To investigate Danish HP students' attitudes toward addressing sexual health in their future professions, and to assess differences in perceived competences and preparedness between professional programs.

Methods: A Danish national survey of nursing, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy students was conducted. Totally, 1,212 students were invited to respond to an online questionnaire "The Students' Attitudes toward Addressing Sexual Health."

Main outcome measure: The main outcome measures investigated were Danish HP students' attitudes toward addressing sexual health in their future professions, and differences in perceived competences and preparedness depending on the professional program.

Results: A total of 584 students (48%; nursing 44%, occupational therapy 70%, physiotherapy 43%) responded. Mean total score ranged between 63.7 and 66.3 (±8.3-8.8) classifying students in the low-end of the class: "comfortable and prepared in some situations." No clinically relevant differences were determined between the professional programs with respect to perceived competences and preparedness to address sexual health.

Conclusion: In the field of addressing sexual health, most Danish HP students reported positive attitudes and a need for basic knowledge, competences, communication training, and education. H Gerbild, C M Larsen, T. Junge, B. S. Laursen, K. Areskoug-Josefsson. Danish Health Professional Students' Attitudes Toward Addressing Sexual Health: A Cross-Sectional Survey. Sex Med 2021;9:100323.

Keywords: Attitudes; Health Professional; Sexual Health; Students; Survey.