Empowering care

: navigating the role of portuguese family doctors in sexual medicine

Abstract

Sexual health is fundamental for overall well-being and quality of life, and the focus of
intervention of Sexual Medicine (SM). Within the National Health Service, Primary Care
Physicians (PCPs) guarantee comprehensive care, in a biopsychosocial action.
The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate PCPs’ perceptions about their role in SM
and how to improve it.
A cross-sectional online qualitative design was used and a sample of 73 Portuguese PCPs was
collected. Data was analyzed employing a summative content analysis.
Three categories were established regarding how PCPs perceive their role in SM: “Protagonist”,
“Antagonist” and “Circumstantial”. Concerning how PCPs’ practice could be improved, two
categories were identified: “Legitimizing Sexual Health” and “Enhancing Professional
Development”.
PCPs recognize themselves as institutional gatekeepers and comprehensive caregivers,
resorting to familiar tasks to practice in a conditioned framework. To improve their role, PCPs
highlighted education investment, resource expedition, detailed guidelines creation, and raising
provider and patient awareness beyond the biomedical scope.
The results stress the need for an institutional effort to uphold PCPs’ crucial role in SM to ensure
effective resource use and consistent comprehensive sexual healthcare provision, enhancing
overall patient care and placing sexual health as an important field in primary care.

Date of Award	2024
Original language	Portuguese
Supervisor	Patrícia M. Pascoal (Supervisor) & JOÃO NUNO TOMADA MARQUES (Supervisor)