“Yes, We Should Talk About Sex (Especially in GI Psychiatry)”

Last November, I had the opportunity to present on a topic that’s both essential and too often overlooked in mental health care: sexual side effects from psychiatric medications. These side effects are incredibly common—yet many patients don’t bring them up, and many clinicians aren’t taught how to ask about them in a way that feels safe, nonjudgmental, and practical.

In my talk, I walked colleagues through what to look for, how to monitor for changes over time, and how to integrate thoughtful, shame-free conversations about sexual functioning into routine psychiatric care. Sexual health is mental health—and it deserves to be treated with the same attention and curiosity as mood symptoms, sleep, or anxiety.

So how does this connect to GI psychiatric care?