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Introduction: For more than 60 years, contraceptive pills have been prescribed to mostly healthy biological women. An emerging body of research concerning the possible physiological and psychological side effects of hormonal contraception has been published over the past two decades. Consequently, discontinuing combined oral contraceptives (COCs) as a conscious decision for reasons other than desired pregnancy has become increasingly common for menstruating individuals. The question remains as to what physical and psychological consequences can be observed after discontinuing COCs. In addition, the consequent healthcare needs and situations of affected individuals in Germany have not been explored. This study aims to gain greater insight into the relationship between discontinuation of COCs and (1) possible health consequences, and (2) to explore the supply situation for affected women within the German healthcare system., Methods and Analysis: Qualitative episodic interviews with women who discontinue COC therapy will explore possible health consequences, and their current healthcare needs and situations in Germany. The interviews will be transcribed verbatim, coded, and in-depth thematic interpretation will be conducted. Subsequently, expert interviews with health professionals who work with women who discontinue COCs will also be conducted. The expert interviews will be analysed according to the documentary method. Overarching themes will represent the perspectives of women and health professionals on the discontinuation of COCs., Ethics and Dissemination: Ethical approval for this study has been granted by the Ethics Review Committee of Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg (Germany), reference number 2021-34. The findings will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications, posting via social media and presentations at conferences. This study is registered on the OSF platform under the following number: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/JYWXM., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

The first steps toward an academic sexual medicine were made half a century ago in the Federal Republic of Germany. After the so-called sexual revolution, the first approaches to an academicization of the field of sexual science were located in Hamburg and Frankfurt, where independent institutes and chairs were set up. Through empirical studies, the ignorance of physicians and medical students in sexuality-related topics could be demonstrated and subsequently addressed. In the early 1970s a journal named Sexualmedizin was founded, the first education courses for physicians in sexual medicine were held and in Frankfurt the first "special" university outpatient clinic in the country was opened with a department for sexual science. During the following decades, several textbooks were published and the professional training of physicians was expanded. As a university specialty, however, sexual medicine is still one of the most threatened medical subjects, being represented in only a few German faculties.Prof. Dr. Volkmar Sigusch, a pioneer of modern sexual research, looks back on events and personal experiences and gives an overview of the actors and sexual-scientific publications of the time.

Background: Patients with the ICD-10 sexual disorders F52, F64, F65, and F66 are treated by a variety of medical disciplines. Until now, there has been a paucity of data regarding which sexual disorders are treated by means of in-patient hospital care and whether changes have occurred over time., Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine how many patients with sexual disorders that are classified by ICD-10 chapter V (F) as "mental" are treated as in-patients., Methods: Diagnosis data regarding German hospital care, which have been published annually since 2000 by the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), are analysed., Results: Since 2000, the number of in-patients with disorders of gender identity (F64) has increased 2.6-fold. Hospital treatment of sexual dysfunctions (F52) as a primary diagnosis is decreasing, whereas a significantly higher number of in-patients are treated with F52 as a secondary diagnosis. In-patients with F64 are mostly treated in urology and gynaecology departments or by surgeons, and 76.0-81.1% of F52 cases in urology. In-patients with paraphilic disorders (F65) or psychological and behavioral disorders associated with sexual development and orientation (F66) are rarely but almost exclusively treated in psychiatric or psychotherapeutic departments., Discussion: The data indicate that most in-patient hospital treatment for primary diagnoses of sexual disorders are somatic treatments for erectile dysfunction (F52.2) and transsexualism (F64.0). Owing to a steady increase in cases with F64.0 diagnoses, a growth in demand for competence in sexual medicine can be noted, especially in the surgical disciplines. Causes of the distribution and the increase in in-patient numbers are discussed. Further research is required, particularly concerning the treatment of in-patients with F52 and F64 secondary diagnoses.