Both research and consultations over the last decades have identified sexuality-related communication as an issue that requires urgent attention. While clients would like their health-care providers to discuss sexual health concerns, health workers lack the necessary training and knowledge to feel comfortable addressing such issues.

This guideline provides health policy-makers and decision-makers in health professional training institutions with advice on the rationale for health-care providers’ use of counselling skills to address sexual health concerns in a primary health care setting.

Contents

• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
• EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
• 1. INTRODUCTION
  • 1.1 BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE
  • 1.2 OBJECTIVES AND TARGET AUDIENCE
  • 1.3 SCOPE OF THIS GUIDELINE DOCUMENT
  • 1.4 DEFINITIONS AND APPROACH
• 2. METHODOLOGY AND PROCESS
  • 2.1 ESTABLISHMENT OF THE GUIDELINE DEVELOPMENT GROUP
  • 2.2 IDENTIFYING, APPRAISING AND SYNTHESIZING THE AVAILABLE EVIDENCE
  • 2.3 THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING THIS GUIDELINE DOCUMENT
  • 2.4 DOCUMENT PREPARATION AND PEER REVIEW
• 3. GOOD PRACTICE RECOMMENDATION
  • 3.1 DEFINITION
  • 3.2 RESPECT, PROTECT AND FULFIL HUMAN RIGHTS
• 4. EVIDENCE AND RECOMMENDATIONS
  • 4.1 RECOMMENDATION 1: BRIEF SEXUALITY-RELATED COMMUNICATION TO PREVENT STIS
  • 4.2 RECOMMENDATION 2: TRAINING OF HEALTH-CARE PROVIDERS
• 5. PUBLICATION, DISSEMINATION, IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING
• 6. RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS
  • 6.1 DEVELOPING AND TESTING A CLINICAL TOOL
  • 6.2 IN-SERVICE TRAINING OF HEALTH-CARE PROVIDERS
  • 6.3 ADDRESSING HEALTH SYSTEM AND OPERATIONAL BARRIERS TO BSC IMPLEMENTATION
• 7 REFERENCES
• ANNEXES
  • ANNEX 1 PARTICIPANTS IN THE GUIDELINE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
  • ANNEX 2 PICO QUESTIONS AND OUTCOMES FRAMEWORK
  • ANNEX 3 LINKS TO FULL REVIEWS AND EVIDENCE TABLES

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