Gender and Sex in Medical Practice: An Exploratory Study on Knowledge, Behavior, and Attitude among Sicilian Physicians

Giuseppina Campisi, Fortunato Buttacavoli, Massimo Attanasio, Mirella Milioto, Silvia Radosti, Salvatore Amato and Vera Panzarella ()
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Giuseppina Campisi: University Hospital of Palermo, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Fortunato Buttacavoli: Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences (Di.Chir.On.S.), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Massimo Attanasio: Department of Economic, Business and Statistic Sciences (SEAS), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Mirella Milioto: Medical Council of Palermo, Gender Medicine Board, 90146 Palermo, Italy
Silvia Radosti: Medical Council of Palermo, Gender Medicine Board, 90146 Palermo, Italy
Salvatore Amato: Medical Council of Palermo, Gender Medicine Board, 90146 Palermo, Italy
Vera Panzarella: Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences (Di.Chir.On.S.), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Personalized medicine is a new paradigm in health care, and the concept of socio-cultural gender, as opposed to biological sex, emerged in several medical approaches. This exploratory study aimed to investigate the knowledge of sex and gender in clinical medicine among Sicilian physicians. Data collection was based on an online survey sent to the members of the Medical Councils of Sicily (Italy). The questionnaire included nine specific items about awareness and attitudes regarding gender medicine and its importance in clinical practice. 8023 Sicilian physicians received the solicitation e-mail and only 496 responded. Regarding the knowledge of gender medicine, 71.1% of participants stated that they know it, while 88.5% believe that gender medicine should be included in training programs. Similarly, a high percentage (77.6%) would like to keep up to date on this topic. Physicians sampled seem to understand the importance of gender medicine principles, although their experience of some gender issues (i.e., sex disparities in acute cardiovascular care and smoking cessation strategies) is low (55.44% and 21.57%, respectively). The results of this exploratory study should encourage facing the gender medicine gap in the current curricula of health professionals and should implement the transitional value of sex and gender principles in the clinical setting.

Keywords: gender-specific medicine; sex-specific medicine; precision medicine; post-graduate medical education; gender; sex; cardiovascular disease; tobacco cessation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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