The unwillingness of future U.S. physicians to limit adolescent prevention counseling to abstinence-only messages. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol 2010 Aug;23(4):237-41
Date
04/13/2010Pubmed ID
20382053DOI
10.1016/j.jpag.2010.01.004Scopus ID
2-s2.0-77954028667 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 2 CitationsAbstract
OBJECTIVES: Open family planning discussions are essential, though until very recently curtailed in the U.S., yet no study has evaluated future physicians' willingness to curtail their counseling.
DESIGN: Senior medical students at 16 U.S. schools (n=2316, response rate=80.3%) were surveyed on their agreement with: "I am willing to limit the sexually transmissible disease (STD) prevention counseling I do for unmarried teens to 'abstinence-only' messages."
RESULTS: Among seniors, <10% agreed to limit their counseling for unmarried teens to "abstinence-only" messages. Male gender, stronger religious identity, and more conservatism were most strongly associated with willingness to limit counseling.
CONCLUSIONS: Most senior U.S. medical students were not willing to limit the STD prevention counseling they provide. As the new U.S. (and other) governments re-evaluate policies, it is wise that they are reconsidering policies that ran counter to the beliefs of its future physician workforce.
Author List
King SC, Frank EAuthor
Test W. User test user title in the Anesthesiology department at University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AdolescentAttitude of Health Personnel
Contraception
Cross-Sectional Studies
Family Planning Services
Female
Health Policy
Humans
Male
Patient Education as Topic
Sexual Abstinence
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Students, Medical
Young Adult
