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Comparative Study
. 2001 May-Jun;92(3):219-22.
doi: 10.1007/BF03404310.

Nova Scotia high school students' interactions with physicians for sexual health information and services

D B Langille  1 , G T Murphy, J Hughes, J A Rigby
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Nova Scotia high school students' interactions with physicians for sexual health information and services

D B Langille et al. Can J Public Health. 2001 May-Jun.

Abstract
in English, French

Purpose: To support a community effort to establish a health service in a Nova Scotia high school, adolescents' sexual behaviours and use of physicians for sexual health services were assessed.

Methods: A self-completion survey asked students about sexual behaviours, use of physician services and barriers to use of those services.

Results: Only 8.7% of male and 37.9% of female students with family physicians had discussed with the physician whether they were sexually experienced (p < 0.0001). More females had discussed sexual activity when the physician was female than when the physician was male (43.7% vs. 35.1%; p < 0.05). More sexually experienced females who had not discussed this behaviour with their physicians identified specific issues as barriers to discussion.

Conclusions: Female physicians discuss sexual activity more with their adolescent female patients than do male physicians. The results support the need to provide health services in addition to those of physicians to meet the sexual health needs of adolescents.

Objet: À l’appui d’un projet communautaire d’établissement d’un service de santé dans une école secondaire de la Nouvelle-Écosse, nous avons évalué les comportements sexuels d’adolescents et leur recours aux médecins pour obtenir des services de santé-sexualité.

Méthode: Dans un questionnaire à remplir soi-même, nous avons interrogé les élèves sur leurs comportements sexuels, leur recours aux services d’un médecin et les obstacles à l’utilisation de tels services.

Résultats: Seuls 8,7 % des garçons et 37,9 % des filles qui avaient un médecin de famille avaient discuté avec lui ou elle de leur activité sexuelle (p<0,0001). Les filles étaient plus nombreuses à l’avoir fait lorsque leur médecin était une femme plutôt qu’un homme (43,7 % contre 35,1 %; p<0,05). Les filles actives sur le plan sexuel qui n’avaient pas parlé de leur comportement à leur médecin ont cité des obstacles précis à cet égard.

Conclusions: Les femmes médecins discutent davantage d’activité sexuelle avec leurs patientes adolescentes que ne le font leurs collègues masculins. Ces résultats confirment le besoin de fournir des services de santé complémentaires à ceux des médecins pour répondre aux besoins des adolescents en matière de santé-sexualité.

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