Talking delicacy: speaking about sexuality during gynaecological consultations

Abstract

Although survey research has shown that both parties in medical consultations have difficulties with discussing issues relating to sexuality, little is known about how talk about sexuality is actually organised in medical consultations. Drawing, in part, on methods from conversation analysis, the present study reveals how both patients and physicians in gynaecological consultations mark potentially delicate matters by ‘expressive caution’, represented by delays, avoidances and depersonalisations. This expressive caution is co‐operatively accomplished between the professional and the client. It will be shown that a detailed analysis of how talk is produced in consultations can generate findings relevant to medical practice. Copyright © 1993, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved