Women: Let's Talk About Sex

The most common feelings expressed by women in regard to sexual health are embarrassment, guilt, and shame

The survey of 800 women found that fewer than half of those aged 18 to 49 have discussed HIV/AIDs or other STDS with their doctors. What's more, close to 50% say they have never discussed HIV/AIDs with their partners and 40% say they have never brought up getting tested for other, more common STDS. The survey was sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Self magazine.

"The most common feelings expressed by women in regard to sexual health are embarrassment, guilt, and shame and these feelings often affect a woman's ability to speak honestly and openly with their health care provider and partner," says Hilda Hutcherson, MD, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeon's and co-director of the New York Center for Women's Sexual Health at Columbia University.

Nine of 10 women find STDs "shameful," the survey showed. What's more, some women worry that if they bring up STDs, their partners will think they are promiscuous. They are also very concerned about what their doctor will think of them if they bring up STDs, says Hutcherson, the author of What Your Mother Never Told You About Sex.

Exactly 70% said they would feel more embarrassed about having an STD than any other health concern, the survey showed.

"Sexual silence leads to sexual ignorance [and] places women at risk for not only unwanted pregnancy or an STD, but you can die from lack of knowledge [due to HIV/AIDS and certain cancers linked to STDs]," Hutcherson says.

"Sex is as much a health issue as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity," she says.

Women worry far more about breast cancer than STDs, yet they are far more likely to contract an STD. Specifically, the survey showed that 48% were very concerned about breast cancer, while 33% were concerned about HIV/AIDs and 28% were concerned about other STDs.

More than 80% of women did not know that one in three HIV infections in the U.S. occurs in women or that one in four Americans will get an STD in their lifetime.

Start Talking

The new survey results "are very important for men, women, health care providers, and health care policy makers because STDs are very common even though we try to pretend that they are not," says ob-gyn Vanessa E. Cullins, MD, MPH, MBA, vice president of medical affairs for Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Calling for a "safe space" for a "much needed dialogue between doctors and patients," Cullins says this survey "hopefully will begin to break down barriers around talking about sex, sexuality, and reproductive health."

She suggests that questionnaires about sexual history, which are routinely administered, should be a "trigger for a two-way dialogue."

In addition, women need to understand there's a specific test for each STD and that "it's important to ask for a specific test -- especially if the provider if is not being proactive -- and follow through and get the test results," she says.

There was some good new in the report, experts noted.

Close to 90% of single women and women who have never been married suggested using a condom to their partner and 76% have bought condoms. However 50% have been in a position where a partner has tried to talk them out of using a condom, the poll showed.

Awareness of emergency contraception, once called "America's best kept secret," is increasing. In the new poll, 67% of women were aware of emergency contraception, which are a higher-than-usual dose of standard birth control pills that women can take after unprotected intercourse. By contrast, 51% were aware of these pills in 2000 and just 41% were aware of emergency contraception in 1997.

By Denise Mann; WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD