Observations of Communication Practices Between Men Who Have Sex With Men With HIV and HIV Specialist Nurses During Routine Consultations Regarding Sexual Health Counseling in the Netherlands: A Qualitative Study.
de Munnik S, den Daas C, et al. • The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care : JANAC • 2025
HIV specialist nurses demonstrated inconsistent coverage of sexual health topics, varied content, lack of structure, and inconsistent application of communication skills and techniques during routine consultations with men who have sex with men with HIV in the Netherlands.
Key Findings
Results
Sexual health counseling coverage was inconsistent across the 16 observed consultations.
16 video-recorded consultations from four HIV treatment centers in the Netherlands were analyzed
Verbatim transcriptions were used to assess topics discussed, duration of consultations, time spent on sexual health counseling, and specific issues covered
The study found 'inconsistent coverage of sexual health' and 'varied topics' across consultations
The multicenter design included four different HIV treatment centers
Results
Sexual health counseling during routine consultations lacked a consistent structure.
Analysis of verbatim transcriptions revealed 'a lack of structure' in how sexual health counseling was delivered
Topics discussed varied across consultations, suggesting no standardized approach was being followed
The study focused specifically on routine consultations, not specialized sexual health appointments
Results
Communication skills and techniques employed by HIV specialist nurses were applied inconsistently across consultations.
Communication skills were evaluated through 'a predefined framework'
The study found that 'various communication skills and techniques were applied inconsistently'
The predefined framework allowed systematic assessment of nurse communication practices across all 16 consultations
Conclusions
The study recommends implementing structured communication strategies during routine consultations to improve sexual health counseling quality for men who have sex with men with HIV.
The recommendation specifically targets improving quality of sexual health counseling for persons with HIV, 'especially men who have sex with men'
The recommendation follows directly from observed deficiencies in consistency, structure, and communication skill application
The study characterizes improved sexual health counseling as 'essential' for this population
The recommendation is framed for implementation during 'routine consultations' rather than requiring separate specialized appointments
Methods
This was a multicenter observational qualitative study using video-recorded consultations from HIV treatment centers in the Netherlands.
Study design was a 'multicenter observational study'
Data consisted of 16 video-recorded consultations from four HIV treatment centers
Analysis method was verbatim transcription of recorded consultations
The study population was men who have sex with men (MSM) with HIV attending routine consultations with HIV specialist nurses
What This Means
This research suggests that when HIV specialist nurses in the Netherlands meet with HIV-positive gay and bisexual men (men who have sex with men) for routine check-up appointments, sexual health conversations happen in an inconsistent and unstructured way. The researchers recorded and analyzed 16 appointments at four different HIV clinics, looking at what topics were discussed, how much time was spent on sexual health, and how well nurses used communication skills. They found that whether and how sexual health was discussed varied considerably from one appointment to the next, and nurses did not consistently apply effective communication techniques.
This matters because men who have sex with men with HIV have particular sexual health needs — including guidance around topics like safer sex, transmission risk, STI prevention, and sexual well-being — and routine medical appointments are a key opportunity to address these. When counseling is inconsistent or unstructured, some patients may leave without receiving information or support that could benefit their health and that of their partners.
This research suggests that HIV clinics should consider introducing structured communication strategies or guidelines to help nurses cover sexual health topics more consistently and effectively during routine appointments. Standardizing this aspect of care could help ensure that all patients, regardless of which nurse or clinic they see, receive thorough and well-delivered sexual health counseling.
de Munnik S, den Daas C, Ammerlaan H, Kok G, de Wit J, Vervoort S. (2025). Observations of Communication Practices Between Men Who Have Sex With Men With HIV and HIV Specialist Nurses During Routine Consultations Regarding Sexual Health Counseling in the Netherlands: A Qualitative Study.. The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care : JANAC. https://doi.org/10.1097/JNC.0000000000000525