Increasing knowledge, comfort, and frequency of inclusive sexual histories among clinicians of an HIV clinic in Newark, New Jersey

Inclusive sexual history taking should be initiated routinely by clinicians regardless of healthcare setting. It is important that ongoing sexual history assessments continue routinely due to possible sexual risk factor changes of patients. Despite this, clinicians neglect to take sexual histories routinely and report various barriers to take an inclusive sexual history. This project aims to increase the knowledge, comfort level, and frequency of inclusive sexual history taking among clinicians of an HIV urban clinic in Newark, New Jersey. A patient pre-interventional survey was distributed to patients of the clinic to assess the frequency of sexual history taking from the patient's perspective, before the project's intervention. One week later, a 30-minute educational training session for clinicians highlighted specific steps, rationales and practical strategies for taking an unbiased inclusive sexual history. Clinicians were asked to complete a pre and posttest, assessing their knowledge and comfort level of inclusive sexual history taking. Four weeks later a patient post-interventional survey determined if there was an increase in the frequency of inclusive sexual histories being taken in the clinic. The results of this study exhibited an increase in the knowledge and comfort level of inclusive sexual history taking among clinicians after the educational training session. However, the anticipated result of an increase in the frequency of inclusive sexual history taking in the clinic did not transpire. Despite this unforeseen result, the project yet attests that an educational training session on inclusive sexual history taking will increase the clinicians' knowledge and comfort level. Multiple educational training sessions may need to be held over time, and/or organizational guidelines implemented, to establish an increase in the frequency of routine inclusive sexual history taking in healthcare settings.DNPIncludes bibliographical reference