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Hébert N, Beaulieu E, Tremblay MM, et al. Adolescents' comfort answering questions about sexuality asked by their physicians. Paediatr Child Health. 2013;18(3):129-33doi: 10.1093/pch/18.3.129.
Hébert, N., Beaulieu, E., Tremblay, M. M., & Laflamme, S. (2013). Adolescents' comfort answering questions about sexuality asked by their physicians. Paediatrics & child health, 18(3), 129-33. https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/18.3.129
Hébert, Natacha, et al. "Adolescents' comfort answering questions about sexuality asked by their physicians." Paediatrics & child health vol. 18,3 (2013): 129-33. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/18.3.129
Hébert N, Beaulieu E, Tremblay MM, Laflamme S. Adolescents' comfort answering questions about sexuality asked by their physicians. Paediatr Child Health. 2013 Mar;18(3):129-33. doi: 10.1093/pch/18.3.129. PMID: 24421673; PMCID: PMC3680282.
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Paediatr Child Health. 2013 Mar;18(3):129-33. doi: 10.1093/pch/18.3.129.

Adolescents' comfort answering questions about sexuality asked by their physicians.

Paediatrics & child health

Natacha Hébert, Emilie Beaulieu, Marie-Michelle Tremblay, Sophie Laflamme

Affiliations

  1. University of Sherbrooke, Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec.

PMID: 24421673 PMCID: PMC3680282 DOI: 10.1093/pch/18.3.129

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the attitudes of adolescents toward communicating with their doctor about different aspects of their sexuality.

METHODS: The present descriptive survey was conducted with the participation of teenagers from four high schools in Sherbrooke, Quebec. In each school, the students of two grade 8 classes (≤14 years of age) and two grade 10 classes (≥15 years of age) anonymously completed a self-administered questionnaire. Permission from the school board and parental consent for every participant was obtained.

RESULTS: A total of 387 adolescents completed the self-administered questionnaire. The response rate for the study was 98%. Only 27% of the respondents remembered being questioned by their doctor about sexuality, and 17% of the respondents had already brought up the topic of sexuality themselves with their doctor. More than one-half (57%) of the adolescents reported they would be moderately comfortable to totally comfortable discussing sexuality with their doctor if they felt the need to. Overall, when asked to evaluate their degree of comfort if questioned on specific questions about their sexuality, 73.8% to 99.5% believed they would be moderately to totally comfortable responding. Nevertheless, there was a statistically significant difference between age groups, with the older age group being more comfortable than the younger age group (P<0.001). There was no difference between the level of comfort among boys and girls answering the same questions. Respondents believed that their treating physician should discuss sexuality with them (73.8%) and, in the majority of cases (78%), that he/she should initiate the conversation.

CONCLUSION: Regardless of age or sex, teenagers considered themselves to be at ease discussing sexuality with their doctor and found it an important topic best brought up by their practitioner.

Keywords: Adolescents; Communication; Physician practice patterns; Sexuality

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