Sexual health medicine is the specialised area of medical practice concerned with healthy sexual relationships, including freedom from sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and their sequelae, unplanned pregnancy, coercion, and physical or psychological discomfort associated with sexuality and gender. Its practice encompasses the individual, population, social, cultural, interpersonal, microbial, and immunological factors that contribute to STIs, sexual assault, sexual dysfunction, and fertility regulation.

Sexual health medicine is concerned with the promotion of the sexual health of the community by identifying and minimising the impact of the above problems through education, stigma reduction, behavioural change, advocacy, targeted medical and laboratory screening, diagnostic testing, clinical service provision, surveillance, and research. The practice of sexual health medicine embraces two perspectives: a clinical perspective and a public health approach to sexual health.

Sexual health physicians are specialists in sexual and reproductive health care throughout the life course, including sexual function and wellbeing, the management of STIs and blood-borne viruses (BBVs), sexual assault, aspects of medical gynaecology and dermatology, abortion, unplanned pregnancy, contraception, and psychosexual care. Sexual health specialists most commonly provide care in outpatient settings, including public and private sexual health clinics, sexual assault services, HIV clinics, priority services for marginalised communities, and reproductive / family planning services.

Sexual health specialists have specific professional skills, including:

  • Applying a multidisciplinary approach

    Sexual health specialists work collaboratively with other health professionals and within a team.

  • Working sensitively with a variety of patients

    Sexual health specialists develop an ability to deal with patients from a diverse range of backgrounds in a professional and empathetic manner.

  • Strong communication skills

    Sexual health specialists must develop a personable interviewing technique and an ability to relate to patients from all walks of life. It is also essential that they appreciate when referral to a more appropriate or more qualified practitioner in a particular subspecialty is necessary.

  • Managing resources for the benefit of patients and communities

    Sexual health specialists develop and implement health promotion activities in relation to sexual health and apply public health principles to the prevention of STIs and BBVs.

  • Applying a scholarly approach

    Sexual health specialists conduct academic research to discover better ways of understanding, diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease, applying research to improve the management of patients.

Last modified: Thursday, 27 November 2025, 12:19 PM