Online sexuality education and health professional students' comfort in dealing with sexual issues

Abstract

A study of comfort level for discussing sex- and sexuality-related topics in a sample of allied health professional students shows an improvement in their comfort level after completing an online sexuality unit. This finding supports the argument that modern technology can offer an excellent opportunity and means to develop personal and professional skills in sex-related issues. Raising the comfort levels of health professional students will better prepare them for professional interaction on sexual issues they could encounter with their clients. Future research examining different ways to build not only comfort levels but also professional communication skills is warranted. Current and future research would aid in development of new programs based on distant education platforms, which could provide effective ways of appropriate sexual-interventions education for health professionals in clinical settings.