title: Exploring the sexual attitudes of physician assistant students: implications for obtaining a sexual history.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the sexual attitudes of physician assistant (PA) students and assessed their effect on obtaining a sexual history.
  
  
  METHODS
  Students enrolled in New York Institute of Technology and Touro College Manhattan Campus PA programs completed the Derogatis Sexual Functioning Inventory-Attitudes Subscale (DSFI-AS). Demographic data included age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, sexual orientation, and yes/no question regarding whether the participant considers him/herself religious.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean score was 23.3 +/- 14.0 indicating liberal sexual attitudes. Sixty-four percent (n = 114) were liberal, 35.4% (n = 63) neutral, and 0.6% (n = 1) conservative. Mean scores were 23.29 +/- 13.6 for females and 23.33 +/- 15.4 for males (P>.05); 24.8 +/- 13.4 for Caucasians and 18.0 +/- 15.1 for all other ethnicities (P<.05); and 18.9 +/- 13.6 for religious and 28.44 +/- 12.8 for nonreligious participants (P<.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Two factors related significantly with sexual attitudes: ethnicity and relationship with religion. It's imperative that students examine their sexual attitudes and recognize the effect this may have on patient care.
authors: Department of Physician Assistant Studies, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York, USA. cwolf0l@nyit.edu
authors: Corri
authors: C
authors: Wolf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel / Q000208:ethnology*; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000592:standards*; D009518:New York; D010823:Physician Assistants / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012071:Religion and Sex; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D013336:Students, Health Occupations / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult