Attitudes of British medical students towards male homosexuality

The attitudes of medical practitioners towards male homosexuality may influence the quality of medical care given to this group, and especially those with HIV or AIDS. Previous studies have surveyed attitudes of qualified doctors and found significant homophobic attitudes. The authors present the first study in the UK that has assessed medical students' attitudes to male homosexuality. A 20-item questionnaire assessing attitudes to male homosexuality, bisexuality and HIV/AIDS, was completed by 428 students (50% male) from a London medical school between 1994 and 1997. Although the majority held positive views, a significant proportion (10%-15%) held very negative views. For those whom religious beliefs were important in moulding their views, there was a significant correlation (p < 0.001) with more negative attitudes towards male homosexuality and bisexuality and greater fear of treating HIV/AIDS patients. It has been recognized that greater attention needs to be paid to humanistic aspects in the training of medical students. The findings of this study highlight one area that needs to be addressed, namely, attitudes towards a significant minority group.