Sexual health educational intervention in medical students.

INTRODUCTION: The National Autonomous University of Mexico Faculty of Medicine created the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program, which is aimed at students. OBJECTIVE: To determine the sexual-reproductive health profile of medical students through a diagnostic questionnaire and of those who participated in an educational intervention on sexuality (three modules). METHOD: First-year undergraduate students, schoolyear 2017-2018, participated. Students were considered to be trained when they took at least one module. RESULTS: The questionnaire was answered by 1157 students, 21.9 % participated in at least one module, 43.1% had initiated sexual activity and 25 % received the educational intervention. Not having used a condom in their last intercourse was identified in 20 %, and a high prevalence of intercourse under the influence of alcohol was observed. CONCLUSIONS: It is important for specific sexuality competences to be promoted among those who will be doctors in the future.

INTRODUCCIÓN: La Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México creó el Programa de Prevención de Embarazo en Adolescentes, dirigido a estudiantes. OBJETIVO: Determinar el perfil de la salud sexual-reproductiva de estudiantes de medicina mediante un cuestionario diagnóstico y de quienes participaron en una intervención educativa de sexualidad (tres módulos). MÉTODO: Participaron estudiantes del primer año de la carrera, ciclo 2017-2018. Se consideró que el estudiante fue capacitado cuando cursó al menos un módulo. RESULTADOS: Contestaron el cuestionario 1157 estudiantes, 21.9 % participó en al menos un módulo, 43.1 % había iniciado vida sexual y 25 % recibió la intervención educativa. El 20 % no usó condón en su última relación y se observó alta prevalencia de relaciones sexuales bajo el influjo de alcohol. CONCLUSIONES: Es importante promover competencias específicas en sexualidad entre quienes serán los futuros médicos.

Intervención educativa sobre salud sexual en estudiantes de medicina / Sexual health educational intervention in medical students

Resumen Introducción: La Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México creó el Programa de Prevención de Embarazo en Adolescentes, dirigido a estudiantes. Objetivo: Determinar el perfil de la salud sexual-reproductiva de estudiantes de medicina mediante un cuestionario diagnóstico y de quienes participaron en una intervención educativa de sexualidad (tres módulos). Método: Participaron estudiantes del primer año de la carrera, ciclo 2017-2018. Se consideró que el estudiante fue capacitado cuando cursó al menos un módulo. Resultados: Contestaron el cuestionario 1157 estudiantes, 21.9 % participó en al menos un módulo, 43.1 % había iniciado vida sexual y 25 % recibió la intervención educativa. El 20 % no usó condón en su última relación y se observó alta prevalencia de relaciones sexuales bajo el influjo de alcohol. Conclusiones: Es importante promover competencias específicas en sexualidad entre quienes serán los futuros médicos.

Abstract Introduction: The National Autonomous University of Mexico Faculty of Medicine created the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program, which is aimed at students. Objective: To determine the sexual-reproductive health profile of medical students through a diagnostic questionnaire and of those who participated in an educational intervention on sexuality (three modules). Method: First-year undergraduate students, schoolyear 2017-2018, participated. Students were considered to be trained when they took at least one module. Results: The questionnaire was answered by 1157 students, 21.9 % participated in at least one module, 43.1% had initiated sexual activity and 25 % received the educational intervention. Not having used a condom in their last intercourse was identified in 20 %, and a high prevalence of intercourse under the influence of alcohol was observed. Conclusions: It is important for specific sexuality competences to be promoted among those who will be doctors in the future.

Twelve years after abortion decriminalization in Mexico City: Can we still remain an island of liberties?

Latin America hosts the most restrictive abortion legislation globally. In 2007, Mexico, the second largest Catholic country in the world, decriminalized elective abortion within the first twelve weeks of pregnancy in the capital: Mexico City (also known as Federal District of Mexico). Following the reform, the Mexico City Ministry of Health (MX-MOH) implemented safe and legal services. Free services are provided to Mexico City residents and a sliding fee of up to $100 is applied to women from other Mexican states. Conscientious objection (CO) was addressed and included in service provision guidelines. Since 2007, 18 of 32 states amended their penal codes to restrict abortion. The road toward increasing access to abortion services at the MX-MOH included a shift from dilation and curettage (D&C) to medical abortion (MA), first with the misoprostol-alone regimen, followed by the combined mifepristone-misoprostol regimen. Manual vacuum aspiration is offered to out-of-state-women or to those beyond the gestational age where MA is less effective. Contraceptive uptake among abortion seekers is high (up to 95% of them prefer a free method of their choice). The Legal Interruption of Pregnancy program at the MX-MOH continues to provide effective, safe, reliable, and free services. However, women from indigenous groups residing in rural areas, those with low schooling, and adolescents with an unintended pregnancy who live in rural, urban, peri-urban districts, and at the state level are underserved despite being legally eligible to receive abortion services. Therefore, information and services for the disadvantaged groups need to be strengthened.