TABLE 3.
Barriers to Bringing up Sexual Problems with Patients
| Much or very much | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aOR (95% CI) | |||||||||
| GP (N/total) vs OB/GYN (N/total) | |||||||||
| Shortness of the appointment time | Sexual problem not being a priority in the appointment | Personal attitudes and beliefs | Personal discomfort when addressing sexual problems | Lack of knowledge about sexual medicine | Lack of experience with sexual medicine | Lack of effective treatment | Fear of failing to respond to patients’ sexual problems | Disability of the patient | |
| Female (P) a | 0.006 | <0.0001 | 0.0001 | 0.005 | 0.018 | 0.026 | 0.502 | 0.389 | <0.0001 |
| GP vs OB/GYN | 1.93 (1.21-3.08) | 2.86 (1.89-4.31) | 2.69 (1.61-4.48) | 1.99 (1.23-3.24) | 1.72 (1.10-2.69) | 1.63 (1.06-2.49) | 1.13 (0.79-1.61) | 1.16 (0.83-1.62) | 3.17 (1.92-5.25) |
| 263/298 vs 219/277 | 248/293 vs 173/266 | 58/290 vs 25/271 | 56/297 vs 29/277 | 254/293 vs 214/275 | 250/296 vs 209/276 | 179/280 vs 160/259 | 155/293 vs 133/275 | 69/281 vs 24/261 | |
| Male (P) a | 0.0004 | 0.067 | 0.359 | 0.272 | 0.005 | 0.033 | 0.102 | 0.593 | 0.279 |
| GP vs OB/GYN | 7.11 (2.40-21.04) | 2.71 (0.93-7.88) | 0.54 (0.14-2.03) | 3.29 (0.39-27.38) | 4.65 (1.60-13.54) | 3.05 (1.10-8.46) | 2.54 (0.83-7.74) | 1.34 (0.46-3.89) | 3.20 (0.39-26.34) |
| 81/99 vs 8/21 | 75/96 vs 12/20 | 11/97 vs 4/21 | 14/99 vs 1/21 | 82/98 vs 11/21 | 79/100 vs 11/21 | 41/94 vs 5/21 | 33/96 vs 6/21 | 16/94 vs 1/19 | |
| Age <40 (P) b | 0.404 | 0.003 | 0.250 | 0.084 | 0.866 | 0.823 | 0.580 | 0.031 | 0.448 |
| GP vs OB/GYN | 0.60 (0.18-1.98) | 3.24 (1.48-7.11) | 1.79 (0.66-4.82) | 2.14 (0.90-5.06) | 0.92 (0.37-2.32) | 0.90 (0.34-2.37) | 1.18 (0.65-2.14) | 0.53 (0.29-0.94) | 1.36 (0.62-2.99) |
| 134/147 vs 77/81 | 127/144 vs 60/80 | 17/145 vs 6/79 | 25/147 vs 8/82 | 124/144 vs 73/81 | 130/146 vs 75/82 | 78/139 vs 42/74 | 68/143 vs 54/81 | 25/135 vs 11/75 | |
| Age 40-49 (P) b | 0.123 | 0.0003 | 0.039 | 0.144 | 0.090 | 0.102 | 0.474 | 0.485 | 0.041 |
| GP vs OB/GYN | 1.86 (0.85-4.10) | 3.62 (1.81-7.25) | 2.20 (1.04-4.66) | 1.83 (0.81-4.12) | 1.83 (0.91-3.69) | 1.76 (0.89-3.46) | 1.26 (0.67-2.35) | 1.23 (0.69-2.17) | 2.60 (1.04-6.47) |
| 92/109 vs 85/107 | 86/106 vs 59/101 | 25/106 vs 14/106 | 20/107 vs 12/107 | 91/108 vs 77/107 | 87/109 vs 74/105 | 65/102 vs 64/100 | 50/108 vs 48/106 | 20/105 vs 8/101 | |
| Age ≥50 (P) b | <0.0001 | 0.007 | 0.014 | 0.049 | 0.001 | 0.004 | 0.434 | 0.004 | <0.0001 |
| GP vs OB/GYN | 4.19 (2.26-7.79) | 2.21 (1.24-3.92) | 2.76 (1.23-6.20) | 2.21 (1.00-4.86) | 3.21 (1.66-6.20) | 2.33 (1.30-4.17) | 1.24 (0.73-2.10) | 2.19 (1.29-3.72) | 8.13 (3.25-20.30) |
| 118/141 vs 65/110 | 110/139 vs 66/105 | 27/136 vs 9/107 | 25/142 vs 10/109 | 121/139 vs 75/108 | 112/141 vs 71/110 | 77/133 vs 59/106 | 70/138 vs 37/109 | 40/135 vs 6/104 | |
The “cannot say” responses were omitted from the analyses. In each question the responses “much” or “very much” / the number of analyzed responses are shown in the lower column.
aOR >1 indicates that the specific barrier is more likely to be reported as a barrier by the comparison group compared with the reference group.
aOR <1 indicates that the specific barrier is less likely to be reported as a barrier by the comparison group compared with the reference group.
aOR, adjusted odds ratio; GP, general practitioner; OB/GYN, obstetrician-gynecologist.
The multivariable binary logistic regression was carried out with adjustment of age (<40/40-49/≥50 y).
The multivariable binary logistic regression was carried out with adjustment of sex (female/male).