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Educational Resources for Health Care Providers

Taking a Sexual Health History

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 and all of the questions to ask. These questions include the 6 Ps—partners, practices, past history of STIs, protection, pregnancy, and plus.The 6th P—plus—was created by the National Coalition for Sexual Health to address pleasure, problems, and pride. The 6th P explores sexual satisfaction, functioning, concerns, and support for one’s gender identity and sexual orientation. Wondering how to talk about the 6th P? The NCSH offers a series of videos that help providers learn how to talk about these topics and how it improves patient care.

Inclusive Sexual Health Services: Practical Guidelines for Providers & Clinics

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. By using this assessment, providers and clinical staff can work toward:

  • Implementing various trainings to equip staff with tools to serve their community
  • Creating a welcoming clinic environment and providing inclusive resources and services
  • Collecting comprehensive patient data
    Streamlining their sexual history taking
  • Improving their care for all patients and directly addressing various health disparities
    Increasing their delivery of recommended preventive sexual health services

Clinician Guide for Trauma-Informed Care

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 seeking to provide trauma-informed physical examinations in sexual and reproductive health settings, with an emphasis on pelvic exams. This guide can help clinicians deliver comprehensive care, improve patient engagement, build patient rapport, and avoid causing additional harm to patients who have already experienced trauma. Action steps and scripts are suggested for three phases: before, during, and after a patient’s visit. 

The National STD Curriculum

The National STD Curriculum is a free educational website from the University of Washington STD Prevention Training Center. This project is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The site addresses the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, management, and prevention of STDs. 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. You can create an account and sign in to allow you to track questions you have answered, see your progress and resume at a later date. Free CME credit and CNE/CE contact hours are offered throughout the site.

STD Clinical Consultation Network (STDCCN)

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. The STDCCN does not provide direct medical care, treatment planning, or medical treatment services to individuals. 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. Responses are delivered in 1-5 days, depending on urgency. Information is offered as clinical decision support, is advisory in nature and is not intended to replace local healthcare decision-making or provision. Requestors are free to disregard any advice offered. Final clinical decisions are the sole responsibility of the health care provider.

CDC STI Treatment Guidelines

CDC’s Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Treatment Guidelines, 2021 provides current evidence-based prevention, diagnostic and treatment recommendations that replace the 2015 guidance. The recommendations are intended to be a source for clinical guidance. You can download the app for quick and easy access to streamlined STI prevention, diagnostic, and treatment recommendations, along with clinical care guidance, sexual history resources, patient materials, and other features to assist with patient management. CDC also offers a wall chart, pocket guide, and PDF download.

WPATH Standards of Care Version 8 

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.

Coming Together for Sexual Health

Powered by leading sexual health trainers at UCSF’s California Prevention Training Center, this podcast for providers and advocates passionate about health equity and inclusive care 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. Listen to sex-positive conversations with expert clinicians, public health leaders, and community members.

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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American Sexual Health Association

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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