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Sexual dysfunction among patients of south-east Asian origin

Royal Oldham Hospital, Oldham, email: asadraffi{at}hotmail.co.uk

As psychiatrists, we do not ask often enough about sexual symptoms, for fear of embarrassment, a perceived lack of importance or sensitivity (Abbasian, 2002). Among patients from a south-east Asian background who are unable to speak English, eliciting symptoms can be difficult and using interpreters is often the only solution. Asking questions of a sexual nature requires tact. A patient is unlikely to reveal problems of a sensitive nature to an interpreter, for fear of embarrassment, especially if they are from the same cultural background. Sex has always been a taboo subject in this community and it is difficult to find literal translations of terms used when taking a sexual history, without having to resort to colloquial slang. The accuracy of histories could be doubted.

With psychiatric illness already associated with stigma in south-east Asian communities, patients are unlikely to freely admit to sexual dysfunction as well, in a community in which male virility and fertility among males and females is seen as culturally desirable. Asian women are unlikely to want to discuss such sensitive issues with a male or agree to initimate examinations. Understanding of psychiatric illness can be limited, and sexual dysfunction may not be recognised as a symptom of illness or side-effect of medication.

Questioning patients about sexual dysfunction is a sensitive issue, especially when the patient is from another culture. As clinicians we must be aware of the need to ask about such symptoms.

References

ABBASIAN, C. (2002) Sexual dysfunction and antipsychotics. British Journal of Psychiatry, 181, 352.[Free Full Text]

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This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter View responses Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Raffi, A. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Raffi, A.