Sexual history taking in male psychiatry OPD: Perspective of a nurse

Abstract

Sexual history taking is a sensitive method, and anurse should prepare herself before interviewinga patient with a sexual problem. Thiscommentary article draws the attention of all thenurses working in a psychiatric setting anddealing with patients with sexual issues. Historytaking is the fundamental function of a nurse, butsexual history taking is a tough nut to crack.Sexual history taking is an integrated part of thegeneral history taking from a psychiatric patientalong with birth history, childhood history,developmental history, educational history, playhistory, pubertal history, substance abuse history,marital history, fantasy life history, and so on. Themajority of male patients with sexual problemsare visiting psychiatric OPD. However, to reducethe stigma and develop more trust in nurses,there is a need for more and more understandingand interviewing skills in nurses.