Review of residency programs identifies lack of female sexual dysfunction training

Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is “severely underrepresented” in urology residencies and is also low in OB/GYN residency programs, according to research presented at the 2024 Sexual Medicine Society of North America Fall Scientific Meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona.¹

Sarah M. Brink, MD

“We were looking at the paucity of female sexual dysfunction training in urology residencies, because last year, we had done a study looking at male sexual dysfunction vs female sexual dysfunction in urology residencies. We wanted to expand this this year to look at comparison to OB/GYN residencies, to see really who is getting this training, and then who will be the specialist that can help these patients,” explained presenting author Sarah M. Brink, MD, chief urology resident at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, New Jersey, in an interview with Urology Times.

To accomplish this, Brink and her colleagues evaluated all American Urological Association- and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists-accredited residency program websites “to determine the availability of FSD information and to compare this to the availability of MSD information in urology programs,” according to their abstract.

A total of 148 urology and 228 OB/GYN residency program websites were identified. Three independent reviewers analyzed each website to gather the following data: “FSD (‘sexual health/function/dysfunction’ specifically related to females) and MSD (‘erectile dysfunction,’ ‘impotence,’ ‘men’s health,’ ‘sexual health/function/dysfunction,’ ‘prosthetics’) content, number of clicks to reach each topic, curricula, subspecialists on faculty, and program directors,” according to the abstract. The investigators used Chi-square analysis to compare FSD and MSD content.

The investigators found that only 2 (1.4%) urology programs and 12 (5.3%) OB/GYN programs included FSD content. They noted that MSD content was included in 74 (50%) urology programs. In addition, no FSD curricula was included in the urology programs, whereas 10 of the 12 OB/GYN programs with FSD content included curricula.

Commenting on the number of OB/GYN residencies featuring FSD content, Brink said, “Even though that's a greater number, really, in the grand scheme of things that's very, very few residents who are seemingly getting this training, and very many who are not.”

In their poster, the investigators noted that study was limited by the fact that it was a website review, “which may not reflect actual practices at individual programs.”

Brink told Urology Times the next step is to poll residents to determine whether they are actually receiving FSD training.

“I think the biggest take-home message is really speaking to urology program directors and OB/GYN program directors, saying, ‘These needs for these patients are not being met.’ And I think residency is the proper time to intervene, to teach these upcoming attendings who will be practicing with these patients to really get them up to speed to help a greater number of patients who are being, in a sense, medically neglected,” Brink said.

REFERENCE

1. Brink S, Implicito C, Cadiente A, Ullah N, Nguyen J, Shin D. The paucity of female sexual dysfunction training in urology and OBGYN residencies. Presented at: 2024 Sexual Medicine Society of North America Fall Scientific Meeting. October 17-20, 2024. Scottsdale, Arizona. Abstract 192