Incorporating the Principles of Sex Therapy into Urologic Care

Daniela Wittmann; Sharon L Bober

doi:10.1016/j.ucl.2021.06.003

Incorporating the Principles of Sex Therapy into Urologic Care

Urol Clin North Am. 2021 Nov;48(4):425-436. doi: 10.1016/j.ucl.2021.06.003. Epub 2021 Aug 21.

Authors

Daniela Wittmann¹, Sharon L Bober²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Urology, School of Social Work, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, Building 16, Room 110E, Ann Arbor, MI 49108-2800, USA. Electronic address: dwittman@med.umich.edu.
² Sexual Health Program, Department of Psycho-oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, SW320, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/drsharonbober.

PMID: 34602166
DOI: 10.1016/j.ucl.2021.06.003

Abstract

Urologic conditions and their treatments can have a significant impact on patients' sexual functioning and sexual health. Although urologists address sexual dysfunction within their scope of practice, sexual health conversations occur rarely and focus narrowly on physiologic sexual function. The sex therapy perspective considers biologic, psychological, relationship, and cultural aspects of sexuality. We propose that urologists benefit from taking this perspective when performing sexual health assessment. Urologists are not required to provide sex therapy but can optimize their patient's sexual well-being by taking a holistic perspective on sex and offering informational resources and referral to colleagues with complementary sexual health expertise.

Keywords: Biopsychosocial sexuality; Culture; Sex therapy; Urologic conditions.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Complementary Therapies / methods
Complementary Therapies / standards
Humans
Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / etiology
Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / therapy*
Sexual Health*
Urologic Diseases / complications
Urologic Diseases / therapy*