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Encompassing Sexual Medicine Within Psychiatry: Pros and Cons

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Abstract

Objective

This article examines the positive and negative aspects of psychiatry encompassing sexual medicine within its purview.

Methods

MEDLINE searches for the period between 1980 to the present were performed with the terms “psychiatry,” “sexual medicine,” and “sexual dysfunction.” In addition, sexual medicine texts were reviewed for chapters relevant to this topic.

Results

Psychiatry, the only medical discipline trained to integrate both biological and psychological factors in making treatment decisions, has been minimally involved in the evolution of the multidisciplinary field known as sexual medicine.

Conclusion

If psychiatry is to maintain a role in the diagnosis and treatment of sexual disorders, it is critical that its training programs include training in sexual medicine.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, MetroHealth, 2500 MetroHealth Dr., Cleveland, Ohio, 44109

    Robert Taylor Segraves M.D., Ph.D.

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  1. Robert Taylor Segraves M.D., Ph.D.
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Segraves, R.T. Encompassing Sexual Medicine Within Psychiatry: Pros and Cons. Acad Psychiatry 34, 328–332 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ap.34.5.328

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ap.34.5.328

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