Assessment of Jordanian pharmacists’ knowledge and perception regarding sexual and reproductive health and their practice in providing sexual counseling to patients

Pharmacy Practice

  • Shereen Arabiyat1Department of Medical Allied Sciences, Salt College, Al-Balqa Applied University, Salt, Jordan.
  • Odate Tadros1Department of Medical Allied Sciences, Salt College, Al-Balqa Applied University, Salt, Jordan.
  • Rana Abu Farha2Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan.
  • Deema Jaber3Biopharmaceutics and Clinical Pharmacy Department, School of Pharmacy, Zarqa University, Amman-11942, Jordan.
  • Tamara Al-daghastani1Department of Medical Allied Sciences, Salt College, Al-Balqa Applied University, Salt, Jordan.

Volume 21 Issue 1 Pages 1-6

DOI: 10.18549/PharmPract.2023.1.2792

Abstract

Objective: In this quantitative study, we intended to explore sexual/ reproductive counseling between Jordanian pharmacists by addressing pharmacists’ knowledge regarding sexual/ reproductive health and their perception and practice in providing counseling to patients. Method: This study adopted a survey methodology using a self-completed validated and administered unnamed survey. Participants were asked to fill-out the electronic survey after providing their electronic consent. Social media was utilized to extend the survey to facilitate contact multiple parts of pharmacists’ community. Results: In this study, 200 pharmacists agreed to participate in this study. Most of the pharmacists knew that depression (n= 182, 91%) and alcohol (n=171, 85.5%) were among the main factors that my decrease sexual performance. Also, only 38.5% of the pharmacists (n= 77) agreed that discussing sexual issues is the responsibility pf pharmacists, and only 55% of them (n= 110) felt comfortable discussing patients’ sexual matters as any medical issue. Moreover, more than two-third of the pharmacist (n= 146, 73%) reported that if they were consulted about sexual problem, they may explore patients’ problem. On the other side, only half of pharmacists (n= 102, 51%) revealed that they may discuss the side effects of prescribed drug if it might affect sexual performance. Conclusion: Education on sexuality/ reproduction is the key to help Jordanian pharmacists to advance patients’ sexual/ reproductive health. In general, research on sexual/ reproductive health in conservative societies is limited. Therefore, additional surveys that include the perspectives of both patients and pharmacists on sexuality/ reproduction to augment this normally ignored aspect of health are necessary.

Keywords

  • sexual health
  • pharmacists
  • knowledge
  • perception
  • practice
Pharmacy Practice

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