title: Australian sexual health practitioners' use of chaperones for genital examinations: a survey of attitudes and practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the current practice and attitudes of Australian sexual health practitioners towards the use of chaperones for genital examinations.
  
  
  METHODS
  In July 2006, an anonymous, self-completed questionnaire was mailed to members of the Australasian Chapter of Sexual Health Medicine.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 166 questionnaires sent to practitioners, 110 (66%) were returned completed. Of the 110 respondents, only 9% and 19% reported that their clinic routinely provided chaperones for all male and female genital examinations, respectively. Among practitioners whose services did not offer chaperones routinely, chaperones were offered with a mean frequency of 19% for female examinations and 8% for male examinations (P = 0.01). Compared to female practitioners, significantly more male practitioners thought a chaperone was important for medico-legal purposes when examining females (72% v. 53%, P < 0.05). Compared to male practitioners, significantly more female practitioners thought a chaperone was sometimes important for patient support when examining male patients (52% v. 26%, P < 0.001). Only 39% (n = 18) of male practitioners and 36% (n = 23) of female practitioners felt that resources spent on chaperones were justified by the benefits they provided.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite only a minority of practitioners offering chaperones to patients or using them during examinations, many feel they are important for medico-legal reasons and as support for the patient. Best practice may be for services to routinely offer a chaperone and record instances where an offer is declined. This provides patients with choice and practitioners with some level of protection.
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Danielle C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Newton
authors.forename: Christopher K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Fairley
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Teague
authors.forename: Basil
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Donovan
authors.forename: Francis J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Bowden
authors.forename: Jade
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bilardi
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pitts
authors.forename: Marcus Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000175:diagnosis; D005832:Genital Diseases, Male / Q000175:diagnosis; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*