# Gender-specific motivation for training in sexual history

## TL;DR

This study explores how gender affects medical students' motivation to learn sexual history taking and finds that perceived relevance is a key factor in driving engagement.

## Contribution

The study identifies perceived relevance as a mediator of gender differences in motivation for learning sexual history taking.

## Key findings

- Female students showed higher autonomous regulation and rated the topic as more relevant than male students.
- Perceived relevance fully mediated the gender effect on autonomous motivation.
- Curricular strategies emphasizing relevance could reduce gender disparities in engagement.

## Abstract

Although sexual history taking is an essential component of a comprehensive medical history, it is often omitted in practice. To ensure competent assessment, this skill should be taught during medical school. However, interest in the topic—particularly among male students—remains limited. This study therefore aimed (1) to examine the impact of gender on students’ motivation to learn sexual history taking and (2) to identify gender-independent factors. The findings are intended to inform teaching innovations that foster motivation in all students and, ultimately, improve the quality of patient care.

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in the winter semester 2023/2024 among fifth- to eighth-semester medical students at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg. The questionnaire comprised the Learning Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ-L) and 11 self-developed items addressing potential influences on students’ motivation to learn sexual history taking. Data were analyzed using t tests, ANOVA, regression, and mediation analyses.

A total of 318 students participated (86 male, 232 female). Perceived relevance of the topic and the psychiatric clinic as the organizer of the elective course were significant predictors of motivation. Female students showed higher autonomous regulation than males [t (118.68) = -3.48, p < 0.001, d = 0.51] and rated the topic as more relevant [t (121.39) = -3.86, p < 0.001, d = 0.56]. Mediation analysis revealed that the gender effect on autonomous regulation was fully mediated by perceived relevance [indirect effect ab = 0.3231, 95% CI (0.160, 0.4996)].

Gender differences in motivation to attend a voluntary seminar on sexual history taking are explained by perceived relevance rather than biological sex. Relevance plays a central role in fostering autonomous motivation. Therefore, curricular strategies should emphasize the importance of sexual history taking to increase engagement across all genders. Integrating this topic into the compulsory curriculum may compensate for initial gender disparities and contribute to long-term improvements in medical interviewing and patient care.