The vast majority of patients come on their own into the actual consulting room, though they may have come to the clinic with a girlfriend. Occasionally, the patient will ask if the friend can come in with them. The sensitive doctor will make the distinction between those who are nervous (true fear of the unknown) and those in whom the need for support may shed light on their emotional maturity. The boyfriend is also sometimes in the waiting room and may ask to come in with his partner, or she may ask him to do so. Here again, from the verbal and nonverbal communication of the two, the doctor will gain some insight into what the boyfriend’s presence might signify. Is he genuinely offering support in a loving way? Is he concerned about the perceived risk factors, or has he come for further information about the methods?
The number of boys asking for help for themselves is very small, in line with the general under-use of contraceptive services by men. In a given year, the ratio of women to men seeking contraception (all age groups) in a city is 25:1 (Brook Advisory Centre, 1990). Efforts are now being made to provide services that are more attractive to men, such as men-only clinics. It is hoped that such clinics might be able to tackle the problems of contraception and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection together.
*57/197/1*
No comments yet.