Developing a novel sexual health counseling training for HIV healthcare providers in the Netherlands: A mixed method study

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) healthcare providers often encounter challenges when discussing sexual health with people with HIV (PWH), despite recognizing its critical role in comprehensive care. Neglecting sexual health can lead to undetected problems, missed opportunities for guidance, and unaddressed psychosocial consequences. To support providers, we developed a theory- and evidence-based intervention using the Intervention Mapping (IM) approach to enhance sexual health counseling and promote discussions about sexuality. The intervention followed six IM steps: needs assessment, formulation of program objectives, selection of theory-based methods, program development, implementation planning, and evaluation through four online surveys measuring behavioral determinants before and after training. Focus groups and surveys confirmed the need for the intervention. After training, providers were more likely to initiate sexual health discussions with PWH during consultations. Positive trends were observed in attitudes, knowledge, social norms, and perceived skills. Overall, the training strengthened providers’ confidence and competence, with real-life scenarios reinforcing practical skills.