Perceived influence of medical school sexual health education on specialty selection in young urologists specializing in sexual dysfunction

Abstract

Abstract To determine effects of sexual health curriculum (SHC) in medical school on future urology specialty and subspecialty selection, residents, fellows, and practicing urologists completed a 15-question survey regarding their exposure to SHC during medical school, topics covered, and the influence of mentors in career choice. 95 respondents, primarily post-graduate year 4 and 5 (46%), completed the survey. Approximately 50% recalled dedicated SHC during medical school with 46% planning to pursue fellowship training in sexual medicine/reconstruction. Topics commonly covered included reproductive anatomy/physiology and sexual history-taking, while respondents rarely recalled topics such as sexual aids/toys and pornography. Only 25% felt SHC provided an adequate fund of knowledge to address patient’s sexual health concerns, and only 14% believed SHC influenced their decision to pursue urology. Individuals pursuing fellowship were more likely to have an attending mentor, a mentor with expertise in sexual dysfunction, and considered their mentor as important or very important in their decision to subspecialize (p<0.05). Most urology trainees do not have strong exposure to SHC during medical school and cite mentorship as more important in the decision to pursue subspecialty training. These data support the need for a standardized formal SHC and continued exposure to sexual health experts during training.