title: [Impact of sexual and reproductive health theme insertion in the undergraduate medical].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of sexual and reproductive health theme insertion in the undergraduate medical curriculum at a Brazilian public university.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed an instrument for cognitive assessment in sexual and reproductive health based on the subjects addressed in the optional curriculum component Reproductive Health, resulting in an objective multiple choice test containing 27 items. The selected topics were: human, sexual and reproductive rights (HSRR), sexuality, institutional violence, gender, sexual violence, conception, contraception, abortion/legal interruption of pregnancy, maternal mortality and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) - HIV/AIDS. The subjects were grouped into three dimensions of knowledge: HSRR, legal/institutional and biomedical. Two multivariate models were adjusted in the analysis of covariance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 183 students, 127 of the group who took the elective curriculum course reproductive health (RH Group) and 56 who did not (Non-RH Group). Ninety-six students (52.5%) were males and 87 (47.5%) were females. Mean age was 24.7±1.9 years for the RH Group and 24.4±2.6 for the Non-RH Group. The average performance of the SR Group was higher than that of Non-RH subjects regarding the following subjects: HSRR, sexuality, institutional violence, sexual violence, abortion/legal interruption, and STDs - HIV/AIDS. There was no gender difference in performance, except for the theme maternal mortality, in which males scored worse than females (6.9±0.2 and 7.8±0.2, respectively; p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The participation of students in the elective curriculum component Reproductive Health was associated with better performance in some dimensions of cognitive assessment, suggesting a positive impact of this initiative on general medical education.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brasil.
authors.forename: Robinson Dias
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: de Medeiros
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brasil.
authors.forename: George Dantas
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: de Azevedo
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brasil.
authors.forename: Técia Maria de Oliveira
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Maranhão
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ana Katherine
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Tocoginecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brasil.
authors.forename: Yasha Emerenciano
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ana Cristina Pinheiro Fernandes
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: de Araújo
authors.affiliation: Maternidade Escola Januário Cicco, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brasil.
authors.forename: Stênia Lins Leão
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lima
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D060728:Reproductive Health / Q000193:education*; D055815:Young Adult