Traylor Daryl O, Anderson Eboni, Allenbrand Cooper K, Kaur Taranjit, Gill Harnoor, Singh Harsimran
Public Health, A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Mesa, USA.
Basic Sciences, University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine, San Antonio, USA.
Cureus. 2024 Jul 2;16(7):e63681. doi: 10.7759/cureus.63681. eCollection 2024 Jul.
This study explores the prevalence, characteristics, and correlates of sexual harassment and nonconsensual sexual contact among medical students in the United States (US). The study aims to understand the association between gender, sexual orientation, and these incidents within the context of undergraduate medical education in the US. Employing a cross-sectional approach, this study collected primary data from 23,124 medical students across various US allopathic and osteopathic medical schools. After the data were cleaned, 245 (1% of the targeted population) respondents were included in the final analysis. The focus was on the prevalence and characteristics of sexual harassment and nonconsensual sexual contact and the association of gender and sexual orientation with these experiences. The findings revealed that 12.2% (n = 30) of the respondents experienced nonconsensual sexual contact, with other medical students being the most common perpetrators. A significant association was found between gender, sexual orientation, and the occurrence of unwanted sexual contact, indicating a disproportionate impact on non-heterosexual individuals and females. The study underscores the prevalence of sexual harassment and nonconsensual sexual contact within the US undergraduate medical education, highlighting disparities based on gender and sexual orientation. These results call for the implementation of policies and programs to address sexual misconduct in medical schools. The study elucidates the need for an understanding of the impact of sexual misconduct on students attending both allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) medical programs.
本研究探讨了美国医学生中性骚扰和非自愿性接触的患病率、特征及相关因素。该研究旨在了解在美国本科医学教育背景下，性别、性取向与这些事件之间的关联。本研究采用横断面研究方法，从美国各全科和骨科医学院的23124名医学生中收集了原始数据。在数据清理后，245名（占目标人群的1%）受访者被纳入最终分析。重点是性骚扰和非自愿性接触的患病率和特征，以及性别和性取向与这些经历的关联。研究结果显示，12.2%（n = 30）的受访者经历过非自愿性接触，其他医学生是最常见的肇事者。研究发现，性别、性取向与 unwanted sexual contact的发生之间存在显著关联，这表明对非异性恋者和女性的影响不成比例。该研究强调了美国本科医学教育中性骚扰和非自愿性接触的普遍性，突出了基于性别和性取向的差异。这些结果呼吁实施相关政策和项目来解决医学院校中的不当性行为问题。该研究阐明了了解不当性行为对参加全科（MD）和骨科（DO）医学项目的学生的影响的必要性。
