Sexual health, including sexual pleasure, is fundamental to holistic health and well-being, and is considered an area of priority health in Australia. Despite the importance of sexual functioning, women experience significant gaps in sexual well-being compared to men and often do not seek medical care or treatment. Health practitioners are central to the identification and treatment of sexual dysfunction, including fostering sexual well-being for patients. Despite this, minimal research has explored health practitioners’ experiences in treating reports of unpleasant sex. This study aimed to explore health practitioners’ experiences, responses, and confidence in treating patients presenting for unpleasant sexual experiences. An online, mixed-methods survey was completed by 96 participants. Thematic analysis identified 11 core themes. These themes included five patient centred themes (health risks, diverse sex acts, painful vaginal intercourse, relationship breakdown and violence, unwanted sex) and six health practitioner centred themes (communication and counselling, what is normal, ongoing care and follow up, emotional response, limited practical training, and highly prevalent). Participants described a complex sexual health landscape, with social contexts impacting women’s sexual experiences and engagement in treatment. Additionally, health practitioners reported the need for a biopsychosocial approach to understanding and responding to unpleasant sexual experiences for patients, while simultaneously reporting limited education in this area. Findings reflect the need for health practitioners to be cognisant of matters related to sexual function, consent, coercion, client engagement, and treatment pathways, identifying a need for greater education and holistic approaches to sexual healthcare across medical settings.

性健康，包括性快感，是整体健康和福祉的基础，被认为是澳大利亚的优先健康领域。尽管性功能很重要，但与男性相比，女性在性健康方面存在重大差距，并且通常不寻求医疗护理或治疗。健康从业者是识别和治疗性功能障碍的核心，包括促进患者的性健康。尽管如此，很少有研究探讨了健康从业者在处理不愉快性行为报告方面的经验。本研究旨在探讨健康从业者在治疗因不愉快的性经历而就诊的患者方面的经验、反应和信心。96 名参与者完成了一项在线混合方法调查。主题分析确定了 11 个核心主题。这些主题包括五个以患者为中心的主题（健康风险、多样化的性行为、痛苦的阴道、关系破裂和暴力、不想要的性行为）和六个以健康从业者为中心的主题（沟通和咨询、什么是正常的、持续的护理和随访、情绪反应、有限的实践培训，以及非常普遍）。参与者描述了复杂的性健康状况，社会环境影响女性的性经历和治疗参与度。此外，健康从业者报告说需要一种生物心理社会方法来理解和应对患者不愉快的性经历，同时报告说该领域的教育有限。 研究结果反映了健康从业者需要认识到与性功能、同意、胁迫、客户参与和治疗途径相关的问题，并确定需要对整个医疗环境中的性保健进行更多的教育和整体方法。