Abstract:

Several studies have shown the existence of gender bias in the diagnosis and treatment of some diseases. In addition, men and women experience social mediation problems with different consequences for their health. These aspects have important implications for the level and quality of medical care. However, in general, gender has not yet been introduced in the academic curricula of health sciences studies.

The objective of this communication is to estimate the gender sensitivity of Health Sciences students. The study focused on Spain and Nicaragua. The study was carried out from the data obtained in a survey among health sciences students with 887 responses. The results showed the existence of relatively low levels of stereotyped thinking about health problems in general. However, stereotypical prejudice towards female and male patients still exists. Differences related to cultural context were also observed. Spanish students showed less stereotyped perceptions than Nicaraguans. Likewise, the results revealed that the participants perceived the implementation of the gender approach in their academic training as insufficient.

In summary, our findings show that there is a need for training programs to improve gender awareness among health sciences students and trainees. Strengthening the gender perspective in these studies would make it possible to provide gender-specific care and can contribute to greater equity and equality in health services.

Keywords:

Gender Sensitivity, Health Science, Higher Education.