Impact of structured sexual health training incorporating standardised patients on health professions students’ sexual health communication competence: A single-blind randomised controlled trial in Tanzania

Publisher abstract

Aim To evaluate the effect of a structured sexual health training programme incorporating standardised patients (SPs) on health professions students’ sexual health communication competence, as assessed by SPs, in a Tanzanian setting. Design Single-blind randomised controlled trial with parallel-group allocation. Setting Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Participants A total of 312 undergraduate medical and nursing students were enrolled at the university. Intervention Structured sexual health training incorporating didactic teaching, small-group discussions, role-play, and SP-based practice sessions. Outcome measures Sexual health communication competence was assessed using SP–rated checklists at baseline and at six-month follow-up. Results Of 310 health profession students, 73.5% were in their final year. The mean age was 24.29 years (SD = 2.51). 22.6% were female, and 60.0% reported prior sexual health training. Baseline competence scores were similar across groups. At the six-month follow-up, competence improved in both groups, with greater gains in the treatment group. Mixed ANOVA showed a significant time effect (p < .001) and a time-by-group interaction (p = .002). Exploratory item-level analyses indicated higher scores in the treatment group across most sexual health communication competencies, particularly in rapport, empathy, and information-gathering, with no significant difference observed for clear and understandable language. Conclusion Structured SP-based sexual health training incorporating SPs significantly improved sexual health communication competence during simulated consultations, particularly in patient-engagement domains. These findings support incorporating culturally adapted sexual health training into healthcare education and using SP assessments to evaluate communication competence in sensitive clinical contexts. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT06428058. Registered 30 November 2023.