Patients' perspectives on sexual history taking in Korea.
OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to assess patients' beliefs and attitudes towards physicians taking their sexual history during routine medical visits in Korea, where Confucianism is the core societal value.


METHODS
A survey questionnaire was administered to determine the patients' perspectives to sexual history taking, their actual experience of being asked about sexual issues by physicians, their belief in the importance of sexual history taking, their attitudes and cooperativeness towards each component of sexual history, and the effect of the physicians' age and gender on their comfort level during interview.


RESULTS
74.6% of respondents had never been asked about their sexual issues by physicians. Most patients showed a positive attitude and cooperativeness in general, although more than 25% had a negative attitude and were uncooperative with regards to certain components of sexual issues. Their comfort level to sexual history taking was not influenced by the physicians' age. However, female patients felt more comfortable discussing sexual issues with female physicians.


CONCLUSIONS
Sexual history taking was often overlooked during routine medical visits in Korea, although patients showed a relatively positive and cooperative attitude. Women showed a greater preference for female physicians.


CONCLUSIONS
Sexual history taking should be more facilitated in clinical practice and requires a deliberate approach and skill.
Kim
Su Hyun
SH
Department of Family Medicine, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Republic of Korea.
Lee
Young-Mee
YM
Park
Jong Tae
JT
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel / Q000208:ethnology; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D032903:Confucianism / Q000523:psychology; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D012945:Social Values; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires