| Huang, Tsai, Tseng and Lee, (2013) [42] Taiwan, China | 146 senior nursing students Descriptive, cross-sectional study | Nursing students’ attitudes towards providing sexual assessment | Appropriate educational programs improve students’ attitude Studying nurses attitudes gives a better understanding regarding barriers and facilitates developing appropriate interventions to improve future nurses capabilities to address sexual health in clinical practice |
| Ivarsson, Fridlund, and Sjöberg, (2010) [43] Sweden | Nurses representing 18 coronary care units Explorative, qualitative and content analysis design | Asking for sexual health related information following MI is a patients’ and their partners’ responsibility Insufficient written information. Lack of cooperation with sexual health experts | Well-educated and skillful health care providers to handle patients and partners sexual health and to provide them the essential information. Preparing written materials about sexual health information. Health professionals have to include sexual health counselling as a part of comprehensive care approach |
| Byrne et al., (2013) [19] Scotland, UK | 382Cardiac patients and121 staff and practitioners Descriptive study | For patient: lack of privacy For health professionals: Lack of time and of training. Fear from patient anxiety and discomfort if they address their sexual issues | Developing interventions to improve healthcare providers’ competencies. Providing patients with information materials about sexual health |
| Goossens et al., (2011) [31] Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Flanders and Wallonia | 819 European cardiovascular nurses cross-sectional descriptive study | Culture affects nurses’ level of practice, responsibility and confidence and affects patients’ level of comfort toward sexual health assessment | Establishing nursing interventions to promote sexual health discussion for patients with heart diseases. Educational courses and training for healthcare providers regarding sexual health that is sociocultural sensitive and appropriate to be able to deal with different cultural backgrounds |
| Ivarsson, Fridlund, and Sjöberg, (2009) [44] Sweden | Cardiac health care providers in 121 coronary care units for patients with MI National survey | Cardiac health care teams rarely provide oral or written information regarding sexual health for patients and partners. Cardiac health care providers lack sexual health competences | Encourage health care providers to educate patients with MI about sexual health. Provide patients and partners with written information about sexual health. Conducting more research regarding patients’ and their partners’ need for sexual health related information |