Let’s Talk About Sex: Understanding Social Workers’ Approaches to Discussing Sexuality With CKD Patients,

Abstract

A review of the literature suggests that patients do not typically initiate conversations related to sexual function. Our small exploratory pilot study set out to understand the barriers social workers face when initiating discussion of this quality-of life issue. Forty-two members of the Canadian Association of Nephrology Social Workers responded online to a short survey pertaining to their discussions with CKD patients around sexual function. The majority of respondents felt they had a working knowledge of CKD and sexual function. Despite most reporting some knowledge and comfort in discussing the issue, only half said they initiate the discussion. This article describes barriers to the discussion of sexual function and presents implications for social work practice.