Are Medical Students More Prejudiced? Comparison of University Students’ Attitudes Towards Sexual Minorities by Faculties and Cultural background: A Study From Hungary

Abstract

ABSTRACT Sexual and gender minorities often experience discrimination or stigmatization during health encounters. When patients feel stigmatized, they are more likely to delay seeking help and it affects patient cooperation and compliance, thus undermining therapeutic efficacy itself. We examined knowledge and attitude toward LGBT+ people among Hungarian (n = 743) and foreign (n = 130) medical students of the four Hungarian medical universities and 188 students from other faculties. Homonegativity and inadequate knowledge about sexual minority individuals are correlated with male gender, conservative political views, religiosity, religious behavior, and the absence of LGBT+ acquaintance. Medical students show more negative attitudes than students from other disciplines, although foreign medical students were more accepting than Hungarian program students. Further investigation of sexual minority-related content of the Hungarian medical education and revising the written and hidden curriculum would be desired, as well as collecting data from postgraduate students, physicians, and wide range of university faculties.