Talking about S-E-X in Healthcare Settings

Sexual health is a foundational aspect of health and wellbeing, yet many healthcare and mental health providers avoid conversations about sex with their patients. This article explores how inadequate training and systemic discomfort around sexuality lead to missed diagnoses, invalidation, and harm-especially for LGBTQIA+ individuals and other sexually marginalized communities. Drawing from clinical experience and current research, the author outlines how silence around sexual concerns can deepen shame, perpetuate inequities, and drive patients away from care. This article offers practical, affirming strategies for initiating these essential conversations and encourages clinicians to reflect on their own values, biases, and knowledge gaps. This work calls on all healthcare professionals to normalize discussions of sexuality as routine, respectful, and integral to care-not peripheral.