What the five hours cover, and how far they can go.
The structure of the course, an optional audit component for anyone who wants it, and the full mapping of every module against the 2022 RACGP Curriculum. Published openly, before you enrol.
The certificate stands on its own
Completing the course earns you a Certificate of Completion for five hours. That certificate holds whatever your specialty and whatever your CPD home asks of you.
Beyond that, the course is built so you can get more out of the same five hours if you want to. Most online education only ever counts as traditional learning. The parts of CPD that ask you to reflect on feedback about your work, or to look at your own practice data, are harder to find and usually harder to fit in. This course includes material for both, and using it is entirely optional.
If you want the five hours and the clinical skills, watch the modules, use the workbook, and take the certificate. If you would rather structure the same work so it also covers reflective and audit components, everything below sets out one way to do that, along with the worksheets to support it.
All of it is published here so you can see what you are getting before you enrol, and so you have the documentation on hand when you record the activity.
One way to structure the five hours
A suggested split for anyone who wants the course to cover more than traditional learning.
Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.
| Component | Time | Activity type | Evidence you keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 video modules and Master Clinical Workbook | 1.0 hr | Educational activity | Certificate of Completion |
| Simulated Patient Lab, 10 scenarios, two passes each | 3.0 hrs | Reviewing performance | Simulated Patient Lab Log |
| Pre and post consult audit with reflection | 1.0 hr | Measuring outcomes | Tally sheets and reflection page |
| Total | 5.0 hrs |
The Simulated Patient Lab carries the largest share for a reason. Each of the ten AI scenarios takes about ten minutes on a first attempt. Two passes through all ten is a little over three hours, and the second pass is where the reflection happens, because the only thing that makes a second attempt different is what you took from the first.
You do not have to use this split. The five hour Certificate of Completion is issued either way. The breakdown is here for anyone who wants to record the activity across more than one category, and the worksheets below are what make that defensible if you are ever asked to show your evidence.
The audit component
What supports the measuring outcomes hour, for anyone who wants it.
Anything that measures outcomes needs your own data rather than simulated data. The course includes an audit workbook that runs a simple before and after across your own consultations. It takes about an hour, spread across three sittings.
- Baseline audit. Before you start the modules, review 20 consultations in which sexual health would have been reasonable to raise. Record whether you raised it, and what prompted or prevented it.
- Complete the course. Twelve modules, the workbook, and both passes of the Simulated Patient Lab.
- Six to eight weeks of ordinary practice. Long enough for any change to be real rather than novelty.
- Follow up audit. The same 20 consultation review, the same criteria.
- Reflection and practice change. Six structured prompts ending in one specific change you commit to, and a date to re-audit.
Eligible presentations are deliberately broad, so the 20 consultations are usually reached within a fortnight. They include new antidepressant or antihypertensive prescriptions, menopause and perimenopause, diabetes review, postpartum checks, cardiovascular review, chronic pain, prostate concerns, contraception, cervical screening, and relationship or mood presentations.
Seven pages. Simulated Patient Lab log, baseline and follow up tally sheets, and the reflection and practice change pages. Free to download and use.
Mapped against the RACGP Curriculum
2022 RACGP Curriculum and Syllabus for Australian General Practice, 6th Edition.
The mapping below is published for general practitioners and for anyone assessing the clinical scope of the course. It maps primarily to the Sexual Health and Gender Diversity contextual unit, and to Domain 1, Communication Skills and the Patient-Doctor Relationship. Additional mapping applies to Men's Health, Women's Health, Pregnancy and Reproductive Health, Mental Health, Abuse and Violence, and Domains 2, 4 and 5.
The emphasis sits on psychosexual communication and functional sexual health. These are dimensions of the RACGP Sexual Health unit that existing CPD offerings rarely cover in depth.
Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.
| Course module | Curriculum unit | Learning outcomes addressed | Competency codes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1. Foundations of sexual health communication | |||
| 1. The Conversation Most Doctors Avoid | Sexual Health & Gender Diversity Domain 1, Communication Skills and the Patient-Doctor Relationship |
Reflect on and actively seek to address biases, judgements, assumptions and attitudes regarding sexuality and gender. Communicate about sexuality and sexual health in a manner that is respectful and responsive to the person's beliefs, sexuality, gender and culture. | SH 4.2.2, 4.2.4 D1 1.1.1, 1.1.6 |
| 2. Opening the Conversation: What to Actually Say | Sexual Health & Gender Diversity Domain 1 |
Explain why questions including those related to birth sex, gender and sexual orientation are important, and ask them without bias or judgement. Demonstrate a respectful and individually appropriate approach to taking a sexual health history. | SH 1.1.1, 1.3.1, 2.1.1 D1 1.4.1, 1.4.5 |
| 3. The 4 Systems Framework | Sexual Health & Gender Diversity Domain 2, Applied Professional Knowledge and Skills |
Diagnose and manage conditions related to sexual health. Demonstrate a respectful and individually appropriate approach to taking a sexual health history. | SH 2.1.6, 2.1.7, 2.1.1 |
| 4. What To Do With What You Find | Sexual Health & Gender Diversity Domain 2 |
Diagnose and manage conditions related to sexual health. Perform a physical examination in a respectful manner, checking for understanding and seeking consent prior to examination. | SH 2.1.6 to 2.1.9, 2.1.2 |
| Part 2. Clinical presentations by population | |||
| 5. Women's Sexual Health in Practice | Sexual Health & Gender Diversity Women's Health Pregnancy and Reproductive Health |
Diagnose and manage conditions related to sexual health. Provide patient education about pregnancy prevention, safe sex and consent. | SH 2.1.6 to 2.1.9, 1.2.2 WH 2.1.1 PRH 2.1.1 |
| 6. Men's Sexual Health in Practice | Sexual Health & Gender Diversity Men's Health |
Diagnose and manage conditions related to sexual health. Demonstrate a respectful and individually appropriate approach to taking a sexual health history. | SH 2.1.6 to 2.1.9, 2.1.1 MH 2.1.1 |
| 7. Desire, Attraction and Relationship Dynamics | Sexual Health & Gender Diversity Mental Health Domain 1 |
Communicate about sexuality and sexual health in a manner that is respectful and responsive to the person's beliefs, sexuality, gender and culture. Explain and address the potential impacts of marginalisation, stigmatisation and discrimination on the health of sexually and gender diverse individuals. | SH 1.1.1, 3.2.1 to 3.2.4 MH 2.1.1 D1 1.1.6 |
| Part 3. Clinical skills and systems | |||
| 8. The 10-Minute Consultation Framework | Domain 1 Domain 5, Organisational and Legal Dimensions Sexual Health & Gender Diversity |
Communicate about sexuality and sexual health in a manner that is respectful and responsive to the person's beliefs, sexuality, gender and culture. Obtain and document informed consent when performing sexual health investigations. | D1 1.1.1, 1.2.2 D5 5.2.2 SH 2.1.1 |
| 9. Sensitive Topics with Confidence | Sexual Health & Gender Diversity Domain 1 Abuse and Violence |
Sensitively ask about sexual abuse, including intimate partner violence and child abuse. Explain and address the potential impacts of marginalisation, stigmatisation and discrimination on health and on access to healthcare. | SH 1.1.2, 1.4.4, 3.2.1 to 3.2.4 AV 2.1.1 |
| 10. Bringing It All Together | Domain 1 Domain 4, Professional and Ethical Role Sexual Health & Gender Diversity |
Reflect on and actively seek to address biases, judgements, assumptions and attitudes regarding sexuality and gender. Communicate about sexuality and sexual health in a manner that is respectful and responsive to the person's beliefs, sexuality, gender and culture. | D1 1.1.1 to 1.4.5 D4 4.2.2, 4.2.4 SH 1.1.1 |
| 11. Referral, Collaboration and Scope | Domain 5 Sexual Health & Gender Diversity |
Maintain patient confidentiality and identify the situations when confidentiality may need to be breached. Arrange contact tracing and notification of infectious diseases. Implement anti-discrimination practice policies and procedures that promote the health and safety of sexually and gender diverse individuals. | D5 5.2.1, 5.2.3, 5.2.5 SH 5.2.1 |
| 12. Case-Based Clinical Mastery | Sexual Health & Gender Diversity Domain 1 Domain 2 |
Integrated application of all prior learning outcomes across communication, clinical assessment, management and professional practice. | SH all D1 all D2 2.1.1 to 2.1.9 |
| Simulated Patient Lab. Ten interactive AI scenarios | |||
| Lab. Erectile difficulty, premature ejaculation, vaginal dryness, low desire, pain during sex, postpartum, cancer, body image, relationship disconnection, inclusive language | Sexual Health & Gender Diversity Domain 1 Domain 2 |
Demonstrate a respectful and individually appropriate approach to taking a sexual health history. Diagnose and manage conditions related to sexual health. Communicate about sexuality and sexual health in a manner that is respectful and responsive to the person's beliefs, sexuality, gender and culture. | SH 2.1.1, 2.1.6 to 2.1.9 D1 1.1.1, 1.1.6, 1.3.1 D2 2.1.1 |
Abbreviations. SH, Sexual Health and Gender Diversity. D1, Domain 1 Communication Skills and the Patient-Doctor Relationship. D2, Domain 2 Applied Professional Knowledge and Skills. D4, Domain 4 Professional and Ethical Role. D5, Domain 5 Organisational and Legal Dimensions. WH, Women's Health. MH, Men's Health. PRH, Pregnancy and Reproductive Health. AV, Abuse and Violence.
The full mapping with every module, curriculum unit, learning outcome and competency code. Free to download and share with your practice.
How to log the activity
The Certificate of Completion states five hours and sets out the suggested breakdown. For most people that is all you need.
If you want to record the activity across more than one category, log it as 1 hour educational activity, 3 hours reviewing performance, and 1 hour measuring outcomes, and keep the completed lab log and audit sheets as your supporting evidence. Colleges and CPD homes differ in how they treat activities that span several categories, so check with yours if you are unsure.
The Sexual Health Clinician is open to all medical practitioners. The course is designed to align with the CPD activity types recognised across Australian colleges. Requirements vary by college and change over time, so confirm the current position with your own CPD home. This is not currently an RACGP accredited activity and hours are self-recorded. An application for RACGP CPD Provider accreditation is planned.
See what the five hours actually contain
Twelve modules, the Master Clinical Workbook, ten simulated patients you can rehearse on, and the audit addendum.
View the courseAssociate Professor in Medical Education · sexualhealthclinician.com