Attitude of final year medical students of a Nigerian university towards homosexuality

Abstract

Doctors’ attitude towards homosexuality may determine their responses and care for patients whose sexual orientation is homosexuality. Despite this, there is near absence of data on the attitude of medical students to homosexuals in Nigeria. Thus, this study investigated the attitude of final year medical students to homosexuality in Nigeria. An instrument whose items were sex, religion, sexual orientation, do you have a friend who is a homosexual and the 10 item version of the Attitude towards Lesbians and Gay men scale (ATLG) was administered on 85 final year medical students present in class on the day of questionnaire administration and who signed written informed consent. A very high percentage of the respondents showed a negative attitude to lesbians and gay men on all statements or items of ATLG scale. And a higher proportion of female students and a higher proportion of students who did not have a homosexual friend had more negative attitude to homosexuals compared to students who had a homosexual friend. Patients who are homosexuals may not get the best of medical attention if there orientation is known by health care providers.

Keywords: attitude, medical students, gays, lesbians, homosexuals