No sex please, we’re watching Versailles!

AFTER watching the tawdry sex scenes in the BBC’s new strip-off- costumedrama Versailles, I concluded how tricky it is to discuss such matters in a sensible, adult way. especially, it would seem, with doctors.

For a study published this week and reported in the Mail showed that the vast majority of GPs never ask their patients about sex. only six per cent initiated discussions about a patient’s sex life.

But sex is an incredibly important thing to discuss. Many medical conditions — from diabetes to depression — can affect sex lives and therefore be an important symptom when considering a diagnosis.

From my experience, the type of patient least likely to be questioned is the one for whom sex is often the most important issue: young men.

I think part of the reticence is due to the fact that many GPs are middle-aged women. For some reason they seem to find it awkward talking to young men about such matters. And, understandably, the young men are reluctant to initiate that conversation.

Nevertheless, I believe that doctors are seriously letting patients down by not broaching the subject.

I feel very strongly about this because I’ve seen time and time again the fallout from this failure in psychiatric outpatient clinics.

I have witnessed how one of the side-effects of antidepressants is that people’s sex life suffers.

Indeed, it’s the main reason why young men stop taking their medication. I don’t blame them: for they have discovered that one of the things that might give them some pleasure has been taken away from them.

This further compounds their sense of social isolation.

since doctors don’t discuss this with them, they just stop taking their pills and then avoid the doctor.

Inevitably, their depression gets worse and they risk ending up in a psychiatric outpatient clinic.

But there is an answer: perhaps GPs should subtly ask their patients if they watched last week’s episode of Versailles!