Sm. Sawyer et al., Reproductive and sexual health in males with cystic fibrosis: A case for health professional education and training, J ADOLES H, 28(1), 2001, pp. 36-40
Purpose: To survey the attitudes and clinical practice of health profession
als to identify current practice and possible barriers to discussion of sex
ual and reproductive health issues in adolescent males with cystic fibrosis
(CD.
Methods: An interview schedule was developed to seek information about atti
tudes to reproductive and sexual health in males with CF and to elicit deta
ils of reported professional practice of health care providers from four CF
centers in Massachusetts.
Results: Of 32 health professionals interviewed, 66% informed parents about
male infertility soon after diagnosis in infancy; 22% of those not informi
ng parents at this time waited until later childhood or adolescence; and 12
% reported they did not discuss these issues with parents during childhood
or adolescence. All respondents reported they discuss infertility with male
adolescents. The mean age thought most appropriate to discuss infertility
was 13.8 (+/-2.2) years, although most do so at ;15.2 (+/-2.8) years (p < .
05). Fifty percent report routinely discussing that sexual performance is n
ot affected by CF; 38% discuss the importance of condom use; 50% discuss no
rmal sexual performance; 13% offer semen analysis to adolescents; and 3% in
form males about small-volume ejaculates. Reproductive options are discusse
d with adolescents by 19% of clinicians. The themes of embarrassment, insuf
ficient time, the difficulty of finding the "right" time, and insufficient
training were identified as barriers to these discussions.
Conclusions: Greater training for health professionals in the reproductive
and sexual health issues of CF is a step to more complete, timely, and comf
ortable discussion of this area of health care. (C) Society for Adolescent
Medicine, 2000.