Specialist nurse Anne Katz is a sex therapist who focuses her practice on cancer patients.Based in Manitoba, Canada, she gave a CME (continuing medical education) lecture for health care professionals at King Edward Memorial VII Hospital earlier this month.Dr Katz’s presentation focused on how doctors can broach this uncomfortable topic. In an interview with Body & Soul she said the PLISSIT model was one of two models she shared in her presentation.PLISSIT is an acronym. The P stands for permission; LI for limited information; SS for specific suggestion; IT for intensive therapy.Dr Katz stressed that it’s important for doctors to initiate conversation on sex and sexuality with their cancer patients to give their patients permission to talk about it.She said most times physicians will learn that their patients only need minor queries answered limited Information.“Sometimes you will have to give a specific suggestion,” she said.This may be a recommendation for Viagra, in the case of a prostate cancer patient.And then in some cases doctors will have to refer their patients elsewhere to have their concerns addressed.