If you have a sexual health issue, it can be challenging to know where to start. That’s why it’s important to have a doctor who is familiar with sexual health issues.
A good primary care physician is the best place to begin, and they can refer you to a urologist or other specialist if needed.
Primary Care Physician
Primary care physicians (PCPs) provide preventive and acute medical care to a wide variety of patients, and they work with many different health conditions. They typically take a patient’s entire medical history, conduct a physical exam and perform basic diagnostic procedures such as blood and x-rays.
PCPs may also diagnose and treat a broad range of conditions and provide counseling about common symptoms and preventive health habits, such as diet and exercise. They also may help patients manage chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension.
A primary care physician can be an important resource for patients with sexual concerns or issues, as well. They can check a patient’s medication and other health issues that may be affecting their libido or sexual function, and they can refer them to an ob-gyn or urologist if they suspect a problem.
They also have a great deal of expertise in the urinary and reproductive systems, which is essential for evaluating a patient’s sexual health. This is because ED can be a signal of a number of health problems that affect the urinary and reproductive systems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and gout.
As a result, a clinician’s response to a patient’s ED can vary depending on their experience with sexual health problems and the complexity of the issue. The flexibility to respond with optimism and willingness to engage the patient in a dialogue about their sexual activity can make the difference in whether or not the ED is addressed.
When a primary care clinician feels confident that they can discuss sexual health with their patient, they are more likely to initiate a conversation about it. This is based on their training, background, and knowledge about sexual health, as well as the cultural attitudes that they have about sex issues.
The most effective approach to integrating sexual health into the primary care setting is through education and prevention. This involves providing educational materials to patients, such as pamphlets about sex-related topics or self-evaluation tools like the SEX-AP questionnaire. It also involves encouraging patients to document their sexual health concerns on printed history forms and to talk to their clinicians about any changes in sex behavior.
Urologist
Urologists are physicians who specialize in the urinary tract and the male reproductive system. They are able to treat conditions that affect these systems and perform surgery on them, such as vasectomies. They are also trained to do a variety of tests to identify and diagnose these conditions.
A urologist can help with conditions such as erectile dysfunction (ED), prostate cancer, urinary incontinence, and kidney stones. They are able to provide a range of treatment options for these conditions and work with other health care professionals to create a customized plan of treatment for each patient.
They can treat both men and women, but the most common urologic issues they see are in men. These include erectile dysfunction, prostate cancer, bladder problems, kidney stone formation, enlarged prostate glands and incontinence.
To become a urologist, you need to complete medical school and a residency in urology. During this time, you are trained in the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of conditions related to the urinary tract, male reproductive system and adrenal glands.
Once you complete your residency, you can start working in a hospital or private practice setting. You might have to be on call for emergencies, and your schedule can vary depending on the demands of the practice.
Many urologists choose to pursue a fellowship, which involves additional training in a specific area of urology. This can take up to two years of study and is an excellent way to gain experience in a particular area.
In addition, urologists who have done fellowships often take part in research projects that can lead to more career opportunities and advancement in their field. This is especially true for those who want to focus on a certain subspecialty, such as urologic oncology or pediatric urology.
When looking for a urologist, be sure to check their credentials and whether they accept your insurance. This can save you from spending unnecessary amounts of money and allow you to get better coverage for your needs.
A urologist’s main goal is to help patients achieve their sexual and reproductive goals. They can use a wide range of methods to achieve this, including surgical and nonsurgical treatments. They may also be able to offer information about how to manage your condition in the long term.
Cardiovascular Physician
Cardiovascular physicians specialize in the diagnosis, treatment and management of heart disease. They diagnose life-threatening conditions like heart attacks, angina (chest pain), arrhythmias and heart failure. They can also make recommendations for tests and procedures such as balloon angioplasty or heart surgery.
They work closely with a patient’s primary care physician and can refer patients to other specialists for testing or procedures when needed. Some cardiologists work in hospitals, while others have their own private practices.
Cardiac experts can help you live longer and stay healthy, regardless of your age or health status. They can help you manage chronic conditions and find ways to improve your overall health through lifestyle changes.
A cardiologist will also help you maintain a healthy sex life, especially if you have heart disease or a history of cardiovascular problems. A good sex life can boost your mood, improve your sleep and counter depression and anxiety that often lead to heart disease.
In addition, a healthy sex life can improve your heart’s ability to pump blood, which helps to keep it strong and healthy. The right sex partner can also help you relax and enjoy intimacy.
Despite these benefits, some people are concerned about sexual activity after having a heart event or experiencing symptoms such as shortness of breath or chest pain. However, the risk of having a cardiac incident during sex is relatively low for most people.
Many men and women who have a heart condition worry that they may have a shock during lovemaking, even if their implanted cardiac defibrillator isn’t activated. However, the chances of experiencing a heart event during lovemaking are very small, according to Dr. Helene Glassberg, a cardiologist at Penn Medicine.
It’s important to note that a doctor will likely need to warn you against certain durations or positions or even sex altogether, especially for those in high-risk categories such as those with unstable angina or uncontrolled high blood pressure. In these cases, they’ll likely want to ease you back into sex or suggest other activities that can be more comfortable for you.
Mental Health Professional
A mental health professional is a person trained to help people improve their mental health. They can work as a psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker or therapist. Psychologists and psychiatrists are the most common types of mental health professionals. They often focus on the mind, which helps them diagnose and treat mental health disorders.
In order to become a mental health professional, you must have a master’s degree. The degrees are typically in clinical psychology, human behavior, or a related field. In addition, you’ll need to have at least 2,000 hours of experience under supervision. This training is typically done under the supervision of a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist.
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in psychiatry and receive additional training to treat mental health problems. They can do physical examinations, order laboratory tests and EEGs, and may conduct brain imaging studies like MRI or PET scans.
They can also prescribe medications for certain mental conditions. If you have a serious mental illness, your family doctor will usually recommend consulting a psychiatrist to determine the cause of your symptoms and prescribe medications if necessary.
Another type of mental health professional is a psychologist who specializes in counseling. They are trained to evaluate a patient’s psychological condition and provide therapy in a variety of methods, including psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, existential-humanistic and systems therapies.
These types of mental health professionals are usually employed in private practice settings and are often licensed by the state. The licensing requirements vary by state, but in general, they must have a master’s degree and have at least 4,000 hours of experience under supervision.
One of the most important questions you should ask any prospective mental health provider is if they can treat your sexual health issues. If they can, they may have specific training in sex-related disorders.
In most cases, a sex-focused therapist will not only talk to you about your sexual problems in a session but also give you practical exercises to try out at home. For example, if you are having difficulty orgasming during sex, the therapist might suggest exercises you can do at home that will help you get more pleasure from your sexual experiences.