What deters GPs from talking about sexual assault? a qualitative interview study.

Abstract

Sexual assault affects overall health due to its somatic, psychological, and social consequences. Many survivors will present their health issues to GPs, unaware of the relationship between their symptoms and their history. Studies on intimate partner violence (IPV) show that GPs often lack the competencies to recognise and discuss IPV, which leads to substandard care. This leads to the research question of whether this also applies to sexual assault. To explore GPs' experiences regarding the identification and discussion of sexual assault. Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with GPs in the Netherlands. Interviews were conducted with 14 GPs between March and August 2023. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Most GPs thought sexual assault should be discussed in their consulting rooms. Although both barriers and facilitators were explored, GPs talked predominantly about barriers. Professionally, they felt hampered by the tendency to approach symptoms from a biomedical perspective and by their fixation on problem solving. Emotional resistance and discomfort also prevented them from discussing sexual assault. Female doctors struggled to remain aware that males can also be victims of sexual assault, and male doctors were reluctant to discuss sexual assault with female victims because of a fear of doing harm. This study provides insights into why GPs find it hard to talk about sexual assault. The findings indicate that they should be offered training that tackles the issues raised in order to become competent at recognising and discussing sexual assault with survivors.