Teaching sexual history taking to medical students and examining it: experience in one medical school and a national survey

OBJECTIVES: To assess the feasibility and acceptability of training and examining medical students in taking a sexual history and to compare practice with other medical schools in the UK.

DESIGN: A training programme involving group work, role play and clinical attachments was developed and applied to 131 students at the University of Bristol Medical School. They then underwent an objective structured clinical assessment using simulated patients. The practice of other medical schools was surveyed by postal questionnaire.

RESULT: The students felt that the examination was a good test of their knowledge and skills. One student failed. Sexual history taking is taught in 17 of 22 medical schools but examined in only six.

CONCLUSION: Both teaching and examining of sexual history taking skills are possible and are likely to occur increasingly in UK medical schools.