Sexual Health Care Practitioners' Evaluation of Men Who Have Sex With Men

Background: The Institute of Medicine Report and Department of Health and Human Services Healthy People 2020 Initiative have called for steps to address health disparities facing sexual minorities. Aim: We sought to characterize the practice patterns of sexual health specialists as they relate to men who have sex with men (MSM). Methods: Surveys were electronically mailed to 696 members of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA). Responses were compared using descriptive statistics and χ² analysis with Yates correction where appropriate. Outcomes: Outcomes were SMSNA members' demographics, their assessment of their patients' sexual orientation, and adaptation of care to address the specific needs of their MSM patients. Results: 92 (13.2%) Members responded. While 93.3% of respondents reported treating MSM patients, only 51.7% routinely asked about sexual orientation. Of those that do not ask, 41.9% responded that sexual orientation is irrelevant to their patients' care and 25.6% responded that patients will disclose this information if the patient thinks it is important. Practitioners inquiring about sexual orientation were more likely to practice in urban settings; more likely to inquire about a greater number of sexual behaviors; more likely to tailor their care to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender needs; and more likely to endorse the notion that homosexual/bisexual patients have unique sexual dysfunction concerns. Clinical Translation: Limited and uneven inquiry about sexual orientation necessitates efforts aimed at tailoring care to the needs of sexual minority patients. Strengths & Limitations: This survey addresses a gap in the literature by investigating predictors and practical consequences of practitioner inquiry about sexual orientation. Limitations include a low response rate, disparate study population, the potential influence of respondent social desirability biases, and spurious associations due to a multiplicity of statistical tests. Conclusion: Only about half of surveyed SMSNA members ask their patients' sexual orientation; inquiry about sexual orientation was associated with practice setting and with provider practice patterns and attitudes. Saheb Kashaf M, Butler PR, Cordon-Galiano BH, et al. Sexual Health Care Practitioners' Evaluation of Men Who Have Sex With Men. J Sex Med 2018;15:942–946.