The unwillingness of future U.S. physicians to limit adolescent prevention counseling to abstinence-only messages.
OBJECTIVE
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.


METHODS
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.
King
Sallyann Coleman
SC
Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Frank
Erica
E
D000293:Adolescent; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003267:Contraception / Q000379:methods*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods*; D012746:Sexual Abstinence; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013337:Students, Medical; D055815:Young Adult