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Background: Sexual health (SH) remains a marginalized topic in medical education, posing a challenge to healthcare professionals in providing adequate sexual care. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, clinical experience, training experiences and needs of doctors working in Gynecology/Obstetrics (G/O) and General Practice (GP) regarding sexuality during pregnancy. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2022 to March 2023, inviting Portuguese physicians (G/O and GP) to complete an online questionnaire. Results: Of 366 physicians (50.8% GP; 49.2% G/O) surveyed, the majority were female (85.5%), aged between 24 and 35 years (57.9%) and specialists (56.8%). Nearly all respondents (99.2%) recognized the importance of SH during pregnancy, with 86.6% agreeing that inquiring about sexuality is essential, given that 99.2% believe that pregnancy affects SH. However, despite 66.9% of physicians acknowledging that pregnant value sexuality, 55.2% reported that fewer than 10% pose questions, and only 27.6% of doctors inquire about sexuality. Although 85.0% of the respondents felt completely or partially comfortable discussing sexuality, only 24.6% considered themselves skilled to provide SH counselling, with less than a fifth feeling capable of treating specific sexual dysfunctions. The main difficulties were time constraints (75.7%) and lack of training (70.2%), particularly evident in the GP group. More than a quarter of GP responders and 11% of G/O physicians admitted the lack of education or training in this area. Nearly all responders expressed interest in improving their knowledge, with residency training being the most preferred option. Conclusions: Portuguese physicians recognize the importance of sexuality during pregnancy, but only a minority routinely inquire about it during appointments, referring lack of time and training as the major barriers. The study highlights significant deficiencies in Portuguese GP and G/O practitioners concerning sexual health, emphasizing the urgent need for further training in this area.

Introduction: Surgical site infections (SSIs) can increase mortality and morbidity in patients after surgery. Antibiotic prophylaxis is an effective measure to prevent SSIs, but inappropriate prescription is frequent. The objective of the study was to determine compliance with the clinical practice guideline for antibiotic prophylaxis in the general surgery and gynecology and obstetrics wards in the city of Huánuco, Peru., Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out on all surgical interventions in the general surgery and gynecology and obstetrics services during the year 2019. Compliance was determined based on the chosen antibiotic, dose, time of administration, and duration of prophylaxis. Related factors considered were age, presence of co-morbidities, surgery performed, duration of surgery, types of procedure, anesthesia, as well as years as a surgeon and anesthesiologist., Results: A total of 557 medical records of patients with a median age of 33 years undergoing surgery were collected,. Antibiotic prophylaxis was correctly followed in all aspects in 14.6% of cases in the general surgery service and only in 5.6% of cases in the gynecology and obstetrics service. The correct duration of prophylaxis was 11.6% and 19.7% in general surgery and gynecology and obstetrics, respectively., Conclusion: Low compliance with institutional clinical practice guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis was identified in both services. However, surgical interventions in the general surgery service presented better compliance with antibiotic prophylaxis compared to gynecology and obstetrics procedures., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest.