Sexual health is an important part of overall health and wellbeing, but it is not always something patients feel comfortable raising or clinicians feel confident discussing. While doctors receive training in sexual and reproductive health conditions, conversations about desire, intimacy, relationships, and sexual wellbeing can be less familiar territory.
In this episode of Focused Practice Conversations, practice operations expert Matt Woollard is joined by accredited clinical sexologist Dr Armin Ariana to explore how GPs can approach these conversations with greater confidence and recognise opportunities to provide more comprehensive patient care.
The discussion covers:
From general practice to focused expertise: What drew Dr Ariana to sexual health and how developing a deeper interest has shaped his clinical work.
Recognising the gaps: Why sexual wellbeing can be overlooked in medical training and everyday consultations, and what can be missed when clinicians do not ask.
Knowing when to ask: Common presentations where sexual health may be relevant, even when it is not the patient's presenting complaint.
Building clinical confidence: The knowledge gaps, misconceptions, and discomfort Dr Ariana regularly encounters when teaching other clinicians.
Starting sensitive conversations: Practical ways to raise sexual health naturally, encourage disclosure, and create a safe environment for patients.
Expanding your scope: How targeted education can strengthen clinical practice without requiring GPs to establish an entirely new area of specialisation.
Listen to Matt and Armin's conversation for insights into making sexual health a more confident part of everyday general practice.
Content warning: This podcast discusses sexual health and related medical topics and is intended for a mature audience; please avoid listening in the presence of children.
Prefer a visual format?Watch the full video podcast:
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A printable desk card of the five questions doctors can use to open a sexual health conversation. ⬇️ Download resource >
MJA Insight+ article: Medical school taught us to prevent disease, not to talk about desire. ➡️ Read article >
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Listen to all episodes in the Focused Practice Conversations series.
This episode is also available on the HealthCert Education YouTube channel.
Focused Practice ConversationsHealthCert Education's Focused Practice Conversations podcast series explores how GPs build focused areas of practice, why they chose that path, what changed in their clinic, and whether going deeper into one niche was ultimately worth it. |
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Guest: Dr Armin Ariana
After receiving his Doctor of Medicine in 2002, Armin joined Griffith University following several years in clinical practice and completed a PhD in Molecular Pathology in 2011. His curiosity about the human mind and behaviour later led him to study Psychology at Monash University and to earn a Master of Medicine in Sexology and Sexual Health at the University of Sydney.
Armin is an Accredited Clinical Sexologist with the Society of Australian Sexologists, an Accredited Member of the Australian Counselling Association (Clinical Psychosexual Therapist), and a Member of both the European and International Societies for Sexual Medicine.
As a medical educator, Armin is particularly interested in blended learning and competency frameworks. His diverse background allows him to integrate medical simulation and realistic representations of clinical processes into his teaching, helping students connect biomedical science and psychological insight to their clinical practice.
His current research interests include Medical Education, Sexual Performance Anxiety, LGBTQIA+ Health, and Human Sexual Behaviour and Well-being.
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