Let’s face it: Talking to a healthcare provider about sexual health is probably not going to make it onto most people’s bucket lists. It’s also a lot more important than most people realize. More than 2.4 million Americans were diagnosed with the sexually transmitted infections (STIs) Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and Syphilis in 2023, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That year’s health surveillance reports also show that 39,000 Americans tested positive for HIV, and more than 120,000 cases of viral hepatitis were reported.
Left undiagnosed or untreated, sexually transmitted diseases can seriously impact patients’ physical wellness, mental health, and social relationships. To break down many of the misconceptions and stigma surrounding sexual health, we spoke to several of AvitaCare Atlanta’s nurse practitioners to hear their thoughts.
Read on to learn the answers to patients’ top sexual health questions and why nurses at AvitaCare Atlanta are uniquely qualified to empower people to optimize their sexual wellness without judgment, fear, or shame.
Michelle Sariev
BSN, MS, NP-C, AAHIVS
Nurse practitioner
AvitaCare Atlanta
Mitigation strategies for safer sex practices are nuanced and can be customized for different people's needs.
The top questions patients have (or should have) about sexual health
“One of the top questions patients ask about sexual health is how to lower the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). I take this opportunity to talk about how mitigation strategies for safer sex practices are nuanced and can be customized for different people’s needs. I always mention condoms, but I also acknowledge that some people have a complicated relationship with condoms. This leads to a harm-reduction conversation where we discuss preventative medication management options like HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and Doxycycline Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (Doxy-PEP), a treatment that can prevent bacterial STIs after unprotected sex.”
Michelle Sariev
BSN, MS, NP-C, AAHIVS
nurse practitioner
AvitaCare Atlanta
- Am I at risk of contracting HIV?
- Does my STI screening also include an HIV test?
- Can women take the injectable or oral medication for PrEP?
- Can women contract STIs and anal cancer if they are having anal sex?
- Should I get vaccinated against Hepatitis A and B and Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
MSN, FNP-C
nurse practitioner
AvitaCare Atlanta
“My new patients that come to me from general internal or family medicine are always taken back when we discuss proper STI screening and that a urine sample alone is not a sufficient screening test. They are really boggled to realize that Gonorrhea and Chlamydia screenings must be site-tested aligning with their sexual practices.”
Keith Hood
MSN, NP-C, AAHIVS
nurse practitioner
AvitaCare Atlanta
What patients should know about nurse practitioners and sexual healthcare
“Nurse practitioners are trained to assess patients and order appropriate screenings and tests. We are trained to safely and effectively prescribe medications including PrEP, PEP, and Doxy-PEP. Our training under the nursing model makes us especially able to compassionately care for folks and address sexual health in a nonjudgemental and nurturing way.”
Michelle Sariev
BSN, MS, NP-C, AAHIVS
nurse practitioner
AvitaCare Atlanta
Andrea Jefferson-Saboor
MSN, FNP-C
Nurse practitioner
AvitaCare Atlanta
I assure them that this is a no-judgment zone and that their privacy is protected. I tell them sex is natural; most people have sex but don’t want to talk about it due to shame and guilt.
How Avita’s nurse practitioners provide compassionate sexual healthcare
“I start by introducing myself to patients as a sexual health provider, so let’s talk about sex! I assure them that this is a no-judgment zone and that their privacy is protected. I tell them sex is natural; most people have sex but don’t want to talk about it due to shame and guilt. I like to bring humor into the conversation to ease their anxiety and make them feel comfortable answering the most intimate questions about their sex lives.”
-Andrea Jefferson-Saboor
MSN, FNP-C
nurse practitioner
AvitaCare Atlanta
