Re-Envisioning Sexual History Taking

Gathering a patient’s sexual history is essential for delivering high-quality healthcare, as it allows providers to assess and screen for a variety of sexual health concerns. Taking a comprehensive sexual history should be part of routine care and is particularly important when symptoms or physical exam findings suggest potential issues like sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

This self-paced learning module will focus on the application of the 6 P’s of sexual history taking, identify strategies to overcome barriers to comprehensive history gathering, and emphasize the importance of cultural awareness and humility in ensuring an inclusive approach for all patients.

Educational Objectives

After completing this activity, the participant should be better able to:

  • Describe the application of the 6Ps of a sexual history
  • Identify strategies to reduce barriers to comprehensive sexual history taking 
  • Recognize the benefits of cultural awareness and cultural humility in sexual history taking

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and HealthHIV.  Postgraduate Institute for Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.