OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to identify difficulties adapting the term ‘partner’ when referring to sexual partners in various cultures and languages. Some languages necessitate a specific male or female form, despite the term ‘partner’ being non-gender-specific in English. The study specifically relates to sexual health questionnaires for men and examines the sensitivity of the subject from the perspective of intercultural adaptation.  METHODS: Linguists representing 23 languages spanning 14 countries and 5 continents were asked: how the word ‘partner’ would be translated; whether the translation would be gender-specific; and, if so, what their recommendations would be for overcoming this hurdle in light of the English being gender neutral in comparison. Collated answers were grouped into an overview of how this affects different languages, and how this could affect the conceptual accuracy of translations. RESULTS: It was found that in 17% of languages researched it would be necessary to specify the gender of the partner due to grammar constraints and lack of a suitable neutral term, and that it would be acceptable to use both if separated by parentheses or a solidus. Meanwhile 36% were able to identify an equally neutral term as in the English. Interestingly, linguists for 47% of languages researched reported that regardless of linguistic rules it would be necessary to deviate from the source, specifying a female sexual partner or a wife in order to avoid offence or follow cultural norms. CONCLUSIONS: Through this study we may conclude that although maintaining a broad meaning in order to accurately reflect the source may be initially thought preferable to carry through the accurate meaning, deviation from the intended meaning can be vital in order to adhere to local cultural norms. Ensuring cultural equivalence and avoiding offence in target languages can be a key part in ensuring reliable data is obtained.