Clinical sexology: An approach to the knowledge, attitudes and healthcare practices of final year students of the Medellin, Colombia medical schools
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.iatreia.74Keywords:
health knowledge, attitudes, practice, students, medical, sexologyAbstract
Objective: To describe the knowledge, attitudes and healthcare practices on clinical sexology in students of the last year of the faculties of Medicine, Medellín, Colombia.
Methodology: Descriptive cross-sectional study that included medical students from the last year in five schools in Medellín, 2018. A survey was applied, with prior informed consent of the participants. The knowledge, attitudes and healthcare practices of clinical sexology were investigated.
Results: 318 students were surveyed, 54.1% women, the median age was 24 years (RIC: 23-25); Regarding knowledge, 71.4% knew the definition of Sex, 57.3% that of Gender and 80.3% that of sexuality. Regarding attitudes, 38.8% expressed feeling comfortable with the dialogue on sexual health issues with their patients, 89.1% considered that their beliefs not affected the discussion of sexual problems with their patients and 27% felt safe in-patient focus and management. 92.8% considered that sexology should be relevant during the career. Regarding healthcare practices, 77.4% had never carried out a sexological medical history and of these, 42.5% claimed lack of knowledge as the main cause of not doing so.
Conclusions: The most of last year students of Medicine are still not clear about some basic concepts in clinical sexology and feel uncomfortable when approaching a patient with sexual problems. The majority considered that sexology is relevant in their training, but the Faculties of Medicine have few academic and clinical practice spaces to address this issue.
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