According to Michael A. Reed, MD, MSCP, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist, physicians can begin addressing women’s sexual health immediately without becoming subspecialists. Reed’s proposed “Fourth Pillar” framework for women’s sexual health, published in the International Journal of Sexual Health, argues that fragmented care leaves patients without a clinical home.
Reed framed the clinician’s role as fundamentally educational, and that impacts can be made imminently. “Physicians can begin to do something right away… They do not have to be sexual health experts. Each and every one of us is an educator so that we can educate,” he said.
Reed described a simple step clinicians can take to improve patient care: using a mirror during examinations to explain what they see. This approach can help create a real clinical conversation about the patient’s vulva and vagina, rather than examining in silence.
By bringing a mirror in, clinicians are signaling to the patient that her concerns are heard. “We want to have a true clinical conversation about your vulva and vagina because it is important. We know that it has an impact on your life,” Reed said.
Reed’s second recommendation centered on clinician education, ranging from informal sources like women’s health podcasts and social media platforms to specialized resources like external training. He pointed to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health as central to this effort.
Reed encouraged physicians to participate in and help grow the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health. He framed these steps as building toward a system in which women’s sexual health has clinical guidelines, research infrastructure, and training infrastructure alongside the established pillars of women’s health.
Related: Users Blocked from Accessing Websites
These efforts can help create a more detailed approach to women’s health, one that includes sexual health as a key component. As Reed noted, this can have a significant impact on patients’ lives, and clinicians can start making a difference immediately.
In the context of women’s health, this shift towards a more holistic approach is not entirely new, as similar efforts have been made in other areas, such as women’s health initiatives that focus on preventative care and patient education.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health are two organizations that can provide clinicians with the resources and support they need to improve patient care.
They can provide valuable resources.
Reed’s proposals and recommendations are outlined in his published works, including “Beyond reproduction and disease: proposing a fourth pillar of women’s health as a clinical framework for sexual function, intimacy, and identity” in the International Journal of Sexual Health. Michael A. Reed’s work is a significant contribution to the field.
