Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming a powerful tool in healthcare, education, and counseling, and the sexual health field is no exception. From streamlining administrative tasks to enhancing client education and improving access to resources, AI offers exciting possibilities for sex therapists, educators, counselors, coaches, and medical professionals. But with those opportunities come critical ethical considerations, privacy concerns, and limits to AI’s capabilities.
Sexual Health Alliance explores how sexual health professionals can use AI effectively, ethically, and responsibly. Whether you're just getting started or already experimenting with AI tools, this guide will help you make informed decisions about integrating technology into your practice.
Why AI Matters in Sexual Health Fields
Sexual health professionals often work across diverse domains: therapy, education, clinical medicine, coaching, and advocacy. In each of these areas, AI tools can offer:
Faster content creation for blogs, handouts, social media, and course materials
Administrative support like scheduling, billing, or documentation
Improved access to information through chatbots or educational apps
Enhanced client engagement through digital tools that support self-reflection, journaling, or education
However, because of the sensitive, personal nature of sexual health work, professionals need to navigate these tools with care.
The Do’s of Using AI in Sexual Health
If you’re curious about how to responsibly use AI in your work, start here. These best practices help you stay ethical, accurate, and client-centered.
Do Use AI to Streamline Non-Clinical Tasks
AI is ideal for back-end support that doesn’t require human judgment or clinical nuance. This frees up time for you to focus on your clients or students.
Use AI for:
Drafting marketing materials or blog outlines
Creating course handouts or educational graphics
Organizing intake forms or generating session summaries
Transcribing notes or audio interviews
Do Keep Human Oversight at the Center
Always remember: AI is a tool, not a therapist, coach, or educator. It can support your work, but it cannot replace the human connection at the core of sexual health care.
Tips:
Double-check AI-generated facts and citations
Use your clinical or educational expertise to validate content
Personalize materials created by AI to reflect your tone, ethics, and values
Do Prioritize Client Confidentiality
If you’re using AI tools like chatbots or note transcribers, make sure they are HIPAA-compliant or follow similar privacy standards in your country.
Protect privacy by:
Avoiding client identifiers in AI queries
Using anonymized case examples
Choosing encrypted, secure AI platforms
Including disclaimers if you use AI-generated content in courses or sessions
The Don’ts of Using AI in Sexual Health
Misusing AI can damage trust, spread misinformation, or even violate ethical guidelines. Here’s what to avoid.
Don’t Use AI for Diagnosis or Clinical Decisions
AI is not trained to understand the full context of someone’s lived experience, trauma history, or relational dynamics. Never rely on AI to:
Diagnose a client
Assess mental health
Recommend treatment plans
Deliver counseling insights
Even the most advanced AI cannot replicate the nuance of human empathy and therapeutic attunement.
Don’t Rely on AI for Sensitive or Marginalized Topics
AI often reflects biases from its training data. In topics related to gender identity, kink, non-monogamy, race, disability, and other marginalized experiences, AI may reproduce harmful assumptions or pathologize diverse identities.
Avoid asking AI:
“Is polyamory unhealthy?”
“What causes someone to be gay?”
“Should I treat asexuality as a disorder?”
Instead, lean on lived experience, peer-reviewed research, and culturally informed practices.
Don’t Ignore Copyright or Intellectual Property Rules
While AI can summarize or adapt existing materials, be mindful of ownership. Don’t publish AI-generated text or images without checking:
Whether they infringe on copyrighted material
If they include accurate, sourced references
Your platform’s terms of use (for educators or clinicians)
When in doubt, treat AI-generated work like a rough draft, not a finished product.
Practical Ways to Use AI as a Sexual Health Professional
Here’s how sex therapists, sex educators, and others are using AI right now, in ethical, responsible ways.
For Therapists:
Write blog posts to educate clients about therapy modalities
Draft consent forms or client onboarding templates
Summarize session notes (with caution and de-identified data)
For Educators:
Generate quiz questions or course outlines
Create inclusive definitions of sex-positive terminology
Translate curriculum materials into other languages
For Coaches:
Build guided journal prompts with client input
Script educational videos or podcast outlines
Develop affirmations or goal-setting templates
For Medical Professionals:
Explain medical procedures or terminology in plain language
Draft patient FAQs about sexual health medications or treatments
Generate appointment follow-up summaries (without client data)
Key Questions to Ask Before Using AI
When considering an AI tool, pause and ask:
Is this task appropriate for automation?
Could this tool introduce bias or harm?
Will this support my professional ethics and client trust?
Is the tool secure and compliant with privacy laws?
Am I using AI to replace or support my human work?
If your answers affirm thoughtful, ethical use, move forward. If not, reconsider the tool or application.
Top AI Tools for Sexual Health Professionals
Here are a few tools professionals in the field are exploring:
ChatGPT – for drafting blogs, content, or session prep
Otter.ai – for secure transcription of lectures or notes
Canva AI – for designing handouts, slides, or course visuals
QuillBot – for paraphrasing or improving writing clarity
DALL·E or Midjourney – for visual assets (with a note: images may not always reflect body diversity accurately)
Always vet tools for data security and bias. Tools evolve quickly—stay up to date.
Using AI with Integrity
AI is here to stay. As sexual health professionals, we have the opportunity—and responsibility—to shape how it fits into our work. When used ethically, AI can expand our capacity, spark creativity, and improve access to accurate sexual health information.
But it’s not a substitute for lived experience, cultural competence, or the therapeutic relationship. Let AI support you, not lead for you.
Quick and Dirty Q&A: AI for sexual health professionals
Q: Can sex therapists use AI in their practice?
A: Yes, sex therapists can use AI for administrative tasks, content creation, and client education—but they should never use AI to diagnose, treat, or assess clients. Human oversight is essential.
Q: Is it ethical to use AI in sex education or therapy?
A: It can be ethical when used responsibly. Sexual health professionals should prioritize client confidentiality, avoid biased content, and always review AI-generated materials for accuracy and inclusivity.
Q: What are the risks of using AI in sexual health fields?
A: Risks include spreading misinformation, reinforcing bias, and breaching client privacy. Professionals must choose secure, ethical tools and avoid using AI for clinical judgment.
Q: What are safe ways for sex educators to use AI?
A: Sex educators can use AI to draft lesson plans, quizzes, and inclusive definitions. It’s a great tool for brainstorming, as long as content is reviewed and adapted with care.
Want to become an in-demand sexual health professional? Learn more about becoming certified with SHA!
