Education in sexual medicine: proceedings from the international consultation in sexual medicine, 2009.

Introduction: Sexual problems in men and women are common; and physicians endorse many barriers to addressing these issues, including lack of knowledge about the diagnosis and management of sexual problems and inadequate training in sexual health communication and counseling.

Aim: To update the recommendations published in 2004, from the International Consultation on Sexual Medicine (ICSM) relevant to the educational aspects of sexual health in undergraduate, graduate, and postgraducate medical education.

Methods: A third international consultation in collaboration with the major sexual health organizations assembled over 186 multidisciplinary experts from 33 countries into 25 committees. Three experts from three countries contributed to this committee's review of Education in Sexual Medicine.

Main Outcome Measure: Expert opinion was based on a comprehensive review of the medical literature, committee discussion, public presentation, and debate.

Results: A comprehensive review about the current state of undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate sexual health education worldwide is provided. Recommendations about ideal sexual health curricula across training levels are provided. Best methods for achieving optimal training approaches to sexual health communication and interviewing, clinical skills and management, and counseling are described.

Conclusions: Current sexual health education for undergraduate and practicing physicians is inadequate to meet the advancing science and technology and increasing patient demand for high-quality sexual health care. There is a need for enhanced training in medical institutions responsible for physician sexual health training worldwide. Future training programs at all levels of medical education should incorporate standardized measures of sexual health clinical skills acquisition and assessments of the impact on patient outcomes into the design of educational initiatives.