title: Assessing sexual health in mental health service users.
abstract: This article encourages the reader to consider sexuality and sexual health as essential to a full nursing assessment. It discusses the reasons why nurses should be more open in consultations with mental health service users in regard to sexual health. A step-by-step model that assists nurses in their interventions with service users on issues of sexuality is explored, and each stage of the model is explained. Although predominantly directed at mental health nurses, the main principles in this article could be adapted and applied to other care contexts, such as adult nursing.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Life Science, Northumbria University, and practice placement facilitator, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salkeld
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D008605:Mental Health Services; D024802:Nurse's Role; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing; D060728:Reproductive Health; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: holistic assessment; mental health nursing; patient safety; sexual health; sexuality