Results of the Sex Knowledge and Attitude Test of Medical Students in Israel

Abstract

At the Paris Congress of Medical Sexology (1974) and at a later W.H.O. meeting on “Education and Treatment in Human Sexuality” (1975), the conclusion reached was that there is an urgent need for human sexuality courses to be included in medical schools’ curricula. Paul H. Gebhard (1974) stated at the W.H.O. meeting: “The medical profession should be reminded that sex research, sex education and sex therapy are all its clearly-evident responsibilities….” This was already recognized by a large number of medical schools in the United States and Europe, and Harold I. Lief (1974), who was one of the first scientists to call for formal sex education for the medical student, summarizes, at the same W.H.O. meeting, the situation in the United States today, “The human sexuality course is offered for academic credit in 88% of medical schools.”