Care More

Want to know what has been pinging my radar lately? The fact that so many people have bad experiences getting care for sexual health. The first thing that brought it to mind was a conversation with a woman who utterly refused to get a Pap smear because she equated it to sexual assault, but it just came to my attention again with this article about how overzealous and somewhat insensitive health care workers are scaring patients away from STD testing in DC.

It's easy for doctors and scientists to forget how many people associate sexual health with shame. Although talking about sex and dealing with sexual issues may be a regular part of our lives, doing so can be a source of immense stress, and even trauma, for our patients and subjects. It's therefore important for us to remember that to give better care, we need to care more - about privacy, about reducing feelings of shame, and even about finding non-threatening ways to educate people about sensitive issues. Sexual health care, and health care in general, is a difficult business, but a little patience, kindness, and consideration (from both patients and doctors) can make it easier on everyone.

• User Stories - The Problem with Linking Birth Control Pills to Pap Smears
• STD Testing 101
• But isn't STD Testing Automatic?
• User Stories About STD Testing