Pursuing a Career in Sexual Health? Here’s a $500 Scholarship From hard.health and ClimaxRx

Why Sexual Wellness Is One of the Most Important — and Underserved — Fields in Healthcare

Sexual health touches nearly every dimension of human wellbeing. It influences our physical health, our mental health, our relationships, and our sense of self. Yet despite its outsized importance, sexual wellness remains one of the most underfunded, undertrained, and stigmatized areas in modern healthcare. Patients avoid asking. Clinicians avoid discussing. And the gap between what people need and what they actually receive continues to widen. That is starting to change — and the students entering health-related fields today are at the center of that shift. At hard.health and ClimaxRx, we believe that the future of sexual health depends on a new generation of healthcare professionals who are willing to address these topics openly, clinically, and without shame. To support those students, we are proud to offer the hard.health Sexual Wellness Scholarship Grant — a $500 annual award for undergraduate and graduate students building careers in sexual health and wellness.

The Case for Studying Sexual Health

Choosing to specialize — even partially — in sexual wellness is not just a personal decision. It is a clinical and social need. The numbers tell a clear story:

• Erectile dysfunction affects an estimated 30 million men in the United States, yet the majority never seek or receive treatment.
• Female sexual dysfunction — including low libido, arousal disorders, and painful intercourse — affects roughly 40% of women at some point in their lives, but remains widely underdiagnosed.
• STI rates in the United States have increased for the sixth consecutive year, pointing to persistent gaps in sexual health education and access.
• Studies consistently show that patients want to discuss sexual health with their providers — but feel too embarrassed to raise the subject, and assume the clinician won’t know how to respond.

The problem is not a lack of demand for care. It is a lack of prepared, confident clinicians and educators willing to meet that demand. Students who build expertise in sexual wellness — from pre-med and nursing programs to public health, counseling, and social work — are positioning themselves to fill one of the most significant gaps in modern medicine.

What Does a Career in Sexual Wellness Look Like?

Sexual health is not a single specialty — it runs through nearly every area of healthcare. A student entering this field might find themselves working in any of the following directions:

Clinical Practice

Physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants are frequently the first point of contact for patients experiencing sexual health concerns. An OB-GYN managing hormonal imbalances, a urologist treating erectile dysfunction, or a primary care provider counseling a patient on libido changes — all are practicing sexual health, whether or not they frame it that way. Clinicians who actively develop expertise in this area become invaluable resources for their patients.

Mental Health and Counseling

Sexual health is inseparable from mental health. Anxiety, depression, body image, relationship dynamics, trauma history, and stress all directly affect sexual function and satisfaction. Therapists and counselors with training in sexual wellness — including certified sex therapists — are in growing demand, particularly as younger generations become more open to seeking professional support for these concerns.

Public Health and Education

Some of the highest-impact work in sexual health happens at the population level. Public health professionals design and implement programs that improve sexual health literacy, expand access to care, reduce STI transmission, and address reproductive health inequities. Educators who bring accurate, stigma-free sexual health information into schools, communities, and digital platforms are shaping how future generations understand and manage their own health.

Pharmacy and Pharmacology

Pharmacists are often the most accessible healthcare touchpoint for patients with questions about sexual health medications — from contraception and PrEP to testosterone therapy and ED treatments. Pharmacists who are knowledgeable and approachable on these topics provide an essential service that many patients cannot get elsewhere.

Research and Advocacy

Sexual health needs more champions in research and policy. The funding gaps are real, and they translate directly into evidence gaps that affect clinical practice. Students pursuing research careers in reproductive medicine, endocrinology, or behavioral health who focus on sexual wellness are contributing to a body of knowledge that is still being built.

The Stigma Problem — and Why Your Discomfort Is the Training

One of the most consistent findings in medical education research is that clinicians avoid discussing sexual health not because patients don’t want to talk about it, but because the clinicians themselves feel unprepared and uncomfortable. Training programs rarely devote enough time to sexual health, and students often absorb the same cultural discomfort they are trying to overcome in their patients. The good news is that discomfort decreases with exposure and practice. Students who actively seek out training, supervised clinical experience, and educational resources in sexual wellness develop both the knowledge and the confidence to serve patients in this area. That willingness to push through early discomfort is one of the most valuable things a healthcare professional can cultivate. We created the hard.health Sexual Wellness Scholarship Grant specifically to recognize and support students who are already demonstrating that willingness — through their choice of field and their commitment to making sexual health part of their professional identity.

Fields of Study Eligible for the Scholarship

The scholarship is open to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a wide range of health-related fields, including:

• Pre-Medicine and Medicine
• Nursing and Nurse Practitioner programs
• Public Health and Community Health
• Human Sexuality and Sexual Health Education
• Women’s Health and Gender Studies
• Psychology and Counseling (health focus)
• Social Work
• Pharmacy and Pharmacology
• Reproductive Medicine, OBGYN, and Urology tracks
• Physical Therapy with a pelvic health specialization

If your field of study is not on this list but connects meaningfully to sexual health and wellness, you are encouraged to apply and explain that connection in your essay.

About the Scholarship: What You Need to Know

The hard.health Sexual Wellness Scholarship Grant is a $500 annual award co-presented by hard.health and ClimaxRx. It is open to students of all genders who are enrolled at accredited U.S. colleges and universities. The award is merit-based. There is no financial need requirement. Selection is based on essay quality (50%), relevance of field of study (30%), and academic standing (20%). The application requires:

• Basic personal and enrollment information
• Your declared major and a brief explanation of its connection to sexual wellness
• A 500-word essay responding to the application prompt
• An unofficial transcript (finalists will be required to provide an official certified transcript before the award is disbursed)

The essay prompt asks applicants to reflect on how they plan to use their education and career to advance sexual health awareness, reduce stigma, or improve access to sexual wellness resources — and why it matters to them personally. The current cycle closes December 15, 2026. Recipients are notified within 30 days of the deadline, and the award is paid directly to the recipient.

How to Apply

Applications are submitted online and reviewed on a rolling basis. You can access the full scholarship details and submit your application at:

Apply for the Sexual Wellness Scholarship Grant →

The application takes approximately 30–45 minutes to complete. We recommend drafting your essay separately before beginning the online form.

A Note on Why This Scholarship Exists

At hard.health and ClimaxRx, we work every day with patients who are dealing with sexual health concerns — men facing erectile dysfunction, women experiencing low libido or hormonal changes, couples navigating intimacy challenges. We see, directly, what happens when patients do not have knowledgeable providers to turn to. They go without treatment. They feel isolated. They assume that what they are experiencing is not serious enough to bring up with a doctor. That changes when there are more healthcare professionals who are trained, confident, and willing to have these conversations. Every nurse who learns to screen for sexual dysfunction, every counselor who is prepared to discuss libido with a patient, every public health worker who designs better sexual health programming — these professionals change outcomes for real people. This scholarship is a small investment in that future. We look forward to reading your applications.

FAQ

Who is eligible to apply for the hard.health Sexual Wellness Scholarship Grant?

Any undergraduate or graduate student currently enrolled at an accredited U.S. college or university, with a declared major or active coursework in a qualifying health-related field, and a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher. The scholarship is open to students of all genders. U.S. citizenship, permanent residency, or DACA status is required.

Is there a financial need requirement?

No. The scholarship is entirely merit-based. Selection is based on essay quality, field relevance, and academic standing. Financial circumstances are not considered.

What is the essay prompt?

“Sexual health is often described as a taboo topic, yet it is central to overall human wellbeing. How do you plan to use your education and future career to advance sexual health awareness, reduce stigma, or improve access to sexual wellness resources — and why does this matter to you personally?” Responses should be 500 words or fewer.

What transcript do I need to submit with my application?

An unofficial transcript is sufficient for the initial application. Finalists selected to receive the award will be required to provide an official certified transcript before the award is disbursed.

Where can I submit my application?

Applications are submitted online at hard.health/sexual-wellness-scholarship. The current application cycle closes December 15, 2026.