The resources here are designed to both address the lack of medical school training in sexual health and provide guidance on improving patient care. Only 50% of medical schools in the U.S. require formal education in sexual medicine, leaving many providers less than fully prepared for the range of sexual health care needs of their patients. Resources from ASHA and our partners can help bridge the gap.
On this page you’ll find:
The National Coalition for Sexual Health (NCSH) offers a number of resources for health care providers, including a tool to use when taking a sexual history. This includes discussing the 6 Ps—partners, practices, past history of STIs, protection, pregnancy, and plus. The NCSH offers a series of videos that help providers learn how to talk about these topics and how it improves patient care.
This seven-part video series from the National Coalition for Sexual Health helps clinicians start sexual health conversations with patients. You will also hear directly from patients who want more when it comes to sexual health in routine visits.
Also from the National Coalition for Sexual Health (NCSH), this guide can help health care providers and clinical staff cultivate a clinical environment to deliver inclusive, patient-centered and accessible sexual health services.
Created by the National Coalition for Sexual Health in collaboration with the Clinical Training Center for Sexual and Reproductive Health, the Clinician Guide for Trauma-Informed Care is a roadmap for clinicians to provide trauma-informed physical examinations in sexual and reproductive health settings.
The National STD Curriculum is a free educational website from the University of Washington STD Prevention Training Center. The STD Question Bank on the site features interactive board-review style questions on a wide range of STDs. Questions emphasize key points in the 2021 STD Treatment Guidelines. Free CME credit and CNE/CE contact hours are offered throughout the site.
Also from the University of Washington, the National HIV PrEP Curriculum allows novice-to-expert health care professionals to develop proficiency in the fundamental skills needed to assess, initiate, and monitor HIV PrEP. Learners who complete all 5 lessons may take the optional knowledge assessment test and earn an HIV PrEP Training Certificate.
Intended for health care professionals and STD program staff, the NNPTC online clinical consultation service provides STD clinical consultation to health care providers in all states and U.S. territories. Consultations are based on information provided by the caller without the benefit of a direct evaluation/examination of the patient, and as such, do not constitute medical advice, are intended to be used only as a guide.
This initiative from Child Trends aims to enhance engagement with CDC STI/HIV program priorities, foster collaboration among partners, and build capacity for lasting impact. Available publications address several overarching topics, including addressing the syphilis and congenital syphilis epidemic, increasing coordination between STI services and other service categories, and meeting specific communities’ STI needs.
This policy aid from the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) examines six syphilis prevention policy strategies and offers an inside look into how each strategy unfolded, including key implementation steps and considerations for replication and adaptation.
CDC’s Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Treatment Guidelines, 2021 provides current evidence-based prevention, diagnostic and treatment recommendations. The recommendations are intended to be a source for clinical guidance. You can download the app for access to streamlined STI prevention, diagnostic, and treatment recommendations, along with clinical care guidance, sexual history resources, and other features. CDC also offers a wall chart, pocket guide, and PDF download.
The overall goal of the guidelines from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) is to provide clinical guidance for health professionals to assist transgender and gender diverse people with safe and effective pathways to achieve lasting personal comfort with their gendered selves, and to maximize their overall health, psychological well-being, and self-fulfillment. This assistance may include primary care, gynecologic and urologic care, reproductive options, voice and communication therapy, mental health services (e.g., counseling, psychotherapy), hormonal or surgical treatments among others.
ASHA's own Sex+Health podcast covers all aspects of sexual health. Featuring interviews with medical professionals and experts in the field of sexuality, Sex+Health aims to offer information and resources to with the goal of helping people take charge of their sexual health and understand its importance to overall well being.
This podcast for providers and advocates from UCSF’s California Prevention Training Center unpacks both the how and the why of improving sexual and reproductive health. From root structural problems to improvements in clinical care, the podcast keeps the attention on people most impacted by STIs, HIV, and emerging infectious diseases.
The STD Podcast explores innovative and significant STD and STI issues and discusses clinical implications through conference summaries, expert interviews, hot topics, and literature reviews.
The National HIV Curriculum Podcast explores practice-changing issues and updates in HIV diagnosis, management, and prevention through case discussions, conference summaries, expert interviews, and literature reviews
Looking for additional resources? Visit our healthcare provider page for more information on continuing medical education activities, conferences and events, and digital patient education materials.
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ASHA believes that all people have the right to the information and services that will help them to have optimum sexual health. We envision a time when stigma is no longer associated with sexual health and our nation is united in its belief that sexuality is a normal, healthy, and positive aspect of human life.
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