Tending to sexuality and intimacy in hospice and palliative medicine

Tending to sexuality and intimacy in hospice and palliative medicine
AAHPM Summer Quarterly; by Danielle Chammas, Teddy Scheel, Mike Rabow; 6/27/25
Sexuality and intimacy are often absent from the list of concerns routinely addressed in hospice and palliative medicine (HPM), despite being central to quality of life for many patients. This is rarely an intentional omission and often reflects deep barriers that exist on multiple levels, including our own discomfort as clinicians. Building our capacity to tend to patients’ experiences with sex and intimacy is supported by clinician preparation in the domains of (1) personal reflection to understand the impact of our own attitudes, identities, and biases; (2) skill development to inclusively and nonjudgmentally open and hold space for these conversations; and (3) utilization of biopsychosocial assessment to guide treatment planning.