OBJECTIVE: Gather information about sex knowledge and sexuality among medical students for analyzing differences related to gender and study year. METHODS: A structured questionnaire was applied to students of the School of Medicine of Botucatu, composed by questions about sexuality and sexual activity. The questionnaire was applied in class and 455 students agreed to participate in the study. The analysis was stratified by gender and study year using chi-square test. RESULTS: A comparison of data obtained from first-year and final-year students revealed an increase in the frequency of active sex life, but not in satisfaction. Beliefs predominate over misbeliefs, with differences among gender. Female sexuality and homosexuality-related aspects however have revealed a significant percentage of erroneous answers. CONCLUSIONS: There still exists disinformation about specific issues of human sexuality among medical students. Medical education thus needs to address sexuality in its multiple aspects for enabling the students to deal with the sexuality of their patients.
Medical Education; Sexuality; Students, Medical; Beliefs
