Influence of Religious Affiliations on Attitudes Toward Homosexuality Among Physicians: A Cross-Sectional Study From India

N. A. Uvais, MBBS, DPM^b; Bishurul Hafi, MD^a; P. Shihabudheen, MD^e; Benil Hafeeq, DM^d; Salin K. Eliyas, MD^c

Prim Care Companion CNS Disord 2023;25(1):21m03047

ABSTRACT

Objective: To examine the attitudes among practicing physicians of various specialties toward homosexuality and its association with participants’ religious affiliations in India.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among physicians about their attitudes toward homosexuality between December 2018 and January 2019. Participants completed a survey anonymously in hardcopy form or online. The survey was developed based on the Attitude Toward Homosexuality Scale for Indians (AHSI). A higher AHSI score indicates less homonegativity. It was modified by adding demographic details, career status, and personal experience with homosexual individuals.

Results: The study results showed that among 106 respondents, 81 were men with a mean (SD) age of 32.2 (7.3) years. Of the participants, 40 (37.7%) were MBBS graduates with no specialization, while 34 (32.1%) and 32 (30.2%) respondents were from medical and surgical specialties, respectively. The majority of the respondents were Muslim (43.4%), followed by Hindu (35.8%), Christian (10.4%), those not conforming to any religion (5.7%), and other religions (4.7%). The mean ± SD total score on the AHSI was 69.6 ± 17.7, which was higher than the mean neutral score of 60. The AHSI total score was significantly higher among women (P < .001). The total AHSI score was highest among the no religion category followed by Hindus, with the lowest for biblical religions; the difference was statistically significant (P < .001). No significant difference was seen between Muslims and Christians.

Conclusions: This study showed an overall positive attitude among the respondents toward homosexuality; however, those belonging to Abrahamic religions, especially Muslims, had more negative attitudes. The results highlight the need for antistigma campaigns and educational interventions targeting the physician population of India to reduce negative attitudes toward homosexuality and improve their knowledge of this topic.

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