title: Sexual medicine: why psychiatrists must talk to their patients about sex.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the prevalence of sexual concerns and the relevance of this area to psychiatrists and to present evidence supporting the need for psychiatrists to routinely include a sex-function inquiry in the assessment of their patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A review of the recent literature was undertaken.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sex is a fundamental quality-of-life issue. Sexual problems are extremely prevalent among the general population and even more so among persons with psychiatric or medical illness. There are at least 9 reasons why all physicians, perhaps psychiatrists especially, should make inquiry into sexual behaviours and response a routine part of caring for each patient.
authors.affiliation: The BC Centre for Sexual Medicine, Vancouver General Hospital, British Columbia. rwds@interchange.ubc.ca
authors.forename: Ronald W D
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Stevenson
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000379:methods*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D012701:Serotonin; D000109:Acetylcholine; D009638:Norepinephrine