Sexual Attitudes Among Final-year Undergraduate Medical Students: A Cross-sectional Exploratory Study

Background: Sexual attitudes among medical students play a crucial role in shaping their competence and comfort in addressing patients’ sexual health needs. Despite growing attention to sexual health education, cultural and social influences continue to shape students’ perspectives, particularly in India. Aim: To assess the sexual attitudes of final-year medical students using the Brief Sexual Attitudes Scale (BSAS) and to examine their associations with key sociodemographic and behavioral variables. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted among final-year undergraduate medical students at a private medical college in Udaipur, India. Data were collected using a validated, self-administered online questionnaire incorporating the BSAS. Descriptive statistics, independent-samples t tests, and Pearson correlations were used for analysis. Results: The highest BSAS subscale mean was for permissiveness, followed by instrumentality, birth control, and communion. Permissiveness was significantly higher among males ( P = .038), those spending ≥3 h on social media ( P = .016), and those exposed to sexually explicit content ( P = .004). Birth control was significantly higher among females ( P = .028) and older students aged ≥24 years ( P = .032). Communion was higher among females ( P = .014) and students in relationships ( P = .042). Instrumentality was significantly associated with independent living ( P = .023), greater social media use ( P = .010), viewing explicit material ( P = .004), and following relationship content ( P = .011). Conclusion: Final-year medical students demonstrated moderately liberal sexual attitudes, with permissiveness and instrumentality domains reflecting increasing openness influenced by gender and online exposure, with schooling type also associated with more permissive attitudes. However, emotional and contraceptive domains remained conservative. Integrating structured and culturally sensitive sexual health education into medical curricula is essential to promote professional competence and non-judgmental patient care.