Introduction Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is a fundamental aspect of overall well-being, shaped not only by sociocultural and institutional barriers faced by patients, but also by healthcare providers’ information-seeking behaviours, attitudes and clinical practices. Evidence examining these provider-level determinants remains limited in low- and middle-income settings. This study aimed to assess healthcare providers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices related to SRH and to identify key obstacles and opportunities for improving service delivery. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted from June 2023 to March 2024 across tertiary care hospitals in Pakistan. Healthcare providers completed a structured, self-administered questionnaire capturing sociodemographic information, SRH-related knowledge, attitudes, practices and perceived barriers to care. Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s χ 2 tests were used to assess associations between categorical variables. Multivariable logistic regression identified factors associated with positive SRH-related knowledge-seeking behaviours, attitudes and practices. Results Among 319 participants, 59.6% reported counselling patients on SRH, though only 38.2% had attended relevant workshops. Fear of stigmatisation (60.8%), religious beliefs (48.6%) and lack of knowledge (47.3%) were reported as major barriers to SRH access. While participants generally expressed progressive attitudes, such as support for comprehensive sex education (86.5%) and youth access to contraception (75.6%), engagement in related practices remained limited. Positive SRH attitudes were significantly associated with employment in private institutions (OR 3.93, 95% CI 1.18 to 13.14), higher confidence in personal SRH knowledge (OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.08 to 3.58), and ease in discussing SRH with male guardians (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.22 to 3.97). Conclusions Despite encouraging attitudes among healthcare providers, substantial gaps in SRH education and proactive engagement persist. Addressing these deficiencies through structured training programmes, supportive institutional environments and policy-level reforms is essential to advancing SRH equity and quality in Pakistan.
Qureshi et al. (Thu,) studied this question.