INTRODUCTION: This study explored attitudes towards vasectomy and its acceptance as a method of contraception among clinical-year medical students, and determined the association between their demographic characteristics, and attitudes and acceptance. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among clinical-year medical students from a Malaysian private medical college using a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: There were 330 participants with a female preponderance and a mean age of 22.0 ± 1.1 years. The largest proportion of respondents were from Year 3. The vast majority were ethnically Malay (91.8%) and followed Islam (92.4%). Overall, 60.9% of participants had a positive attitude towards vasectomy and 76.0% showed good acceptance. Gender, academic year, ethnicity and religion variables were not associated with attitudes and acceptance (p > 0.05). A significantly higher proportion of male respondents thought that vasectomy was religiously forbidden and would give a bad impression. A significantly higher proportion of Year 5 students agreed to the statement 'I would recommend vasectomy to relatives, friends and people close to me' compared to Year 3 and 4 students. CONCLUSION Students' perception of vasectomy as a contraceptive method was encouraging. Our results suggest that their knowledge improved as medical training progressed, and attitudes evolved for the better irrespective of their traditional, cultural and religious beliefs - highlighting the importance of providing students with evidence-based learning about male sterilisation, which is more cost-effective and is associated with lower morbidity than female sterilisation. A qualitative study involving students from different ethnicities and religions would provide a better understanding of this subject.
Adult ; Attitude of Health Personnel ; Contraception ; methods ; psychology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Malaysia ; Male ; Religion and Medicine ; Schools, Medical ; Students, Medical ; psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Vasectomy ; psychology ; Young Adult

Introduction: Solat or prayer, as one of the five pillars of Islam, is associated with bio-psycho-social benefits in Muslim patients. Many Muslim patients neglected solat while being hospitalized as they are unaware of the convenience (rukhsoh) available for them. Ibadah Friendly Hospital Courses have been conducted in different states of Malaysia to impart knowledge to the hospital staff who can in turn educate their patients. This study aims to construct a content-validated assessment tool to assess the effectiveness of a state-level Hospital Mesra Ibadah course. Materials and methods: A self-administered questionnaire was constructed and content-validated by a panel of three experts (two religious teachers and one consultant spine surgeon). All 15 questions achieved item-level content validity index (I-CVI) of 1.00 after two rounds of validation. The questionnaires were distributed to participants of a state-level Hospital Mesra Ibadah course to compare the participants’ pre-course and post-course test scores. Results: A total of 88 participants (48.9%) were included in this study. There was a significant difference in the pre-course test mean score and post-course test mean score among the participants. There was also a significant reduction of unsure answers after the course. There was no significant association found between the gender, place of work and occupation with the pre-post test score difference. Conclusion This study demonstrates that the Hospital Mesra Ibadah course is effective in imparting as well as consolidating the knowledge among participants, hence it should be routinely organized to benefit more participants.
Islam ; Religion ; Medicine ; Quality of Life

No abstract available.
Religion and Medicine

No abstract available.
Religion and Medicine ; History of Medicine ; History, 19th Century ; History, 20th Century ; Hospitals ; Missionaries ; Physicians ; Diplomacy ; Republic of Korea

Muslim relies on the structure or guideline of shari’ah or the maqasid al-shariah, which consist of five essential values, namely preservation/protection of faith, life, intellect, property, and dignity/lineage – to guide them in discovering guiding principles for new concerns such as posed by neuroscience. Like in the case of brain imaging technology, there is in need for proper explanation within Islamic and among the Muslim scientists/scholars on how Islamic beliefs, values, and practices might cumulatively provide ‘different’ meanings to the practice and application of this technology, or whether it is in line with the shari’ah – in the context of preservation of health and protection of disease. This paper highlights the Islamic mechanism for neuroethics as basis for a holistic ethical framework of neuroscience to cope with its new, modern, and emerging technologies in the globalised world, and how Muslim should response to such changes.
Religion and Medicine ; Neuroscience

To investigated Shui nationality folk medicine's awareness to orthopedics & traumatology, the history of orthopedics & traumatology treatment, Shui nationality folk doctors' practicing medicine, heritage, diagnosis and treatment methods and tools, etc, through investigated drug resources category and distribution characteristics of Shui nationality medicine to orthopedics & traumatology treatment, explored and finished Shui nationality medicine orthopedics & traumatology treatment theoretical system. After more than 5 years' exploration and finishing, preliminarily formed the theoretical system framework and medicine application characteristics of Shui nationality medicine treating orthopedics & traumatology. Shui nationality medicine treatment orthopedics & traumatology has distinctive national style, and worthy to further exploration and research.
Bone Diseases ; ethnology ; history ; therapy ; China ; ethnology ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Humans ; Orthopedics ; history ; methods ; Religion and Medicine ; Traumatology ; history ; methods

This paper aims to examine the establishing background, curriculum and organization of personnel of Nurses' Training School of PO KU NYO KWAN(Caring For and Saving Woman's Hospital), the first nurses' training school in Korea. It is attempt to richen Korean medical history by the historical approach to modern nurses' training institution in Korea. PO KU NYO KWAN, the first women's hospital in Korea was established in 1887 by Metta Howard, who was sent by the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of Northern Methodist Episcopal Church. Women doctors who were responsible for PO KU NYO KWAN felt the necessity of the professional nurses' training institution during performing medical activity with the help of Korean assistants and asked the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society to establish the nurses' training institution consistently. Margaret J. Edmunds was sent with the mission to establish nurses' training school in PO KU NYO KWAN. She made regulations for establishing nurses' training school, translated 'nurse' into "Gan-ho-won" in Korean language, made nurses' uniforms and prepared textbooks. Nurses' Training School of PO KU NYO KWAN was opened late December in 1903 officially. It had various subjects relating nursing in curriculum. The faculty of it was mainly comprised of medical missionaries of Methodist Episcopal Church and Presbyterian Church. Also the graduates of Severance Medical School and the graduates and students of Nurses' Training School of PO KU NYO KWAN participated its curriculum as teaching staff. In late 1920, Joseon Nurses Association (Joseon ganhobuhoe) discussed about the requirements for admission and the course of study for missionary nurses training school. After this process, students who were qualified for high-level class could have admission for Nurses' Training School of PO KU NYO KWAN. Medical staff belonged to East Gate Hospital and the graduates of Ewha College taught classes in it. First capping ceremony was held on January 25, 1906 and first graduate ceremony was held on November 11, 1908 in Nurses' Training School of PO KU NYO KWAN. They were for nurse students who finished proper course of study. Capping ceremony and graduation ceremony were not held regularly. The superintendent of Nurses' Training School graduated qualified students irregularly. The superintendents of Nurses' Training School were Margaret J. Edmunds, Alta I. Morrison, Mary M. Cutler, Naomi A. Anderson, E. S. Roberts, M. M. Rogers, and E. T. Rosenberger. They worked for the establishment of the first Korean nurses' training school, the development of the curriculum of it, the organization of faculty of it and making various opportunity for nursing practical training till the closure of it in 1933. Professional experts of Korean nursing were produced thanks to their efforts. We can identify 49 graduates of Nurses' Training School of PO KU NYO KWAN, including KIM Martha and LEE Grace. After graduation, most of them worked as nurses in mission hospitals and institutions and taught classes in nurses' training school. Nurses' Training School of PO KU NYO KWAN was the first modern nurses' training institution in Korea. Korean women could turn over new leaves, overcome their traditional view of womanhood which they had as Korean women, and change their consciousness in it.
Curriculum ; Female ; History of Medicine ; History, 20th Century ; Humans ; Religion and Medicine ; Schools, Nursing/*history/organization & administration ; Students, Nursing/history

Je Jung Won was the first modern-style Government hospital built by the Korean King Ko-Jong in April 1885, and it was the medical missionary Horace Newton Allen(1858~1932) who made one of the greatest contributions to the establishment of the hospital. Allen was an American missionary. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a degree in theology in 1881, and completed one-yearcourse at Miami Medical College. In Korea and America he worked as a physician, a missionary, an American diplomatic minister to Korea and a Korean minister's secretary to America. While acting as a mediator between Korea and America, he knew and recorded the domestic and foreign situation of Korea during Gaehwagi(the civilized and enlightened age). Thus to study him is to understand Korea's Gaehwagi as well as to research American medical missionaries. During his stay in Korea(1884~1905), Allen steadily wrote diaries and letters about Korean politics, diplomacy, society, culture, and medicine. Thus his public/private record through diaries and letters(the quantity of these materials amounts to several thousands) supplements the Korean early modern era's historical record. However, until now these materials have received little scholarly attention from researchers except for a few historians of missionary work between Korea and America, or of Korean modern medicine. I intended to use these materials to suggest a new perspective on the study of Korean Gaehwagi. Allen, along with John W. Heron, who came to Seoul on June 21st 1885, treated about 10,460 Korean patients in the first year of the opening of JeJungWon. They made "the first annual report of the Korean Government Hospital". This report explained how Allen and Heron regarded and treated Korean patients. Allen's diaries, letters and other writings offer a realistic view of how the western people actually recognized the Korean people at that time. As a western doctor, Allen had an ambivalent attitude toward Korean medical concepts and systems. On the one hand, he thought that medical idea, some food and drug of Korean is valuable. He said that the native Korea faculty had some good ideas with regards to treatment. And he held Korean rice, ginseng, and so on in high regard. However, he did not rate Korean acupuncture and Korean traditional ointment at all. In addition, he sometimes cured Korean patients dangerously and with imprudence. The amputation of patients' body, no matter how little, must ask the permission of the patients themselves. Especially, the sense of Korean filial duty couldn't accept amputation of body at those times. The artificial change of body meant to hurt parents' body, because at those times Korean people thought that my body was my parent's possession. But Allen did it without enough explanation or persuasion. Moreover he didn't feel guilty for the behavior at all. Besides, he seemed to be proud of it in the above mention. Such careless or unethical behavior cannot be excused. On the other hand, he had made mistakes in treatment according to his record. He pulled out some healthy teeth of patients who had a bad toothache. But he didn't explain nor apologize the mistake. Besides, he refused treatment of patients until the hospital would be opened in order to push Korean government to prepare hospital quickly. Why or how did he do that? The first answer available to the question, he might be so confident of his medical knowledge and skill that he didn't feel the need to ask the patients' thought and will. However, as stated above, his medical study was just one year. And he worried about his inexperience of surgery. Thus the first assumption seems to be false. He wasn't confident of his medical knowledge. The fact that nevertheless Allen treated Korean patients at his will, is still blamable. The second assumption is that he regarded western modern medicine as the only correct and proper approach. He didn't have many experiences, but his west modern medicine made him proud of its achievement. After middle 19th century of modern times, Micheal Foucault said at The Birth of Clinics, western modern medicine believed itself scientific on the ground that west modern medicine could have pathology and surgery. Allen might also trust the scientific ability of western modern medicine. So he might think that he didn't need to explain 'modern and scientific' medicine of West to people in 'premodern and non-scientific' medicine of Korea. The third answer is his 'Orientalism'. He thought that Koreans were dirty, lazy, and barbarous and, therefore, he made a clear distinction between Caucasian and Korean. He set his affection on 'Cho-Seon' and made efforts to cure Korean patients and establish the first western Government hospital in Korea. However he, as a westerner, could not free himself from 'Orientalism' and 'Imperialism'. Thus, he might ride so roughshod Korean patients. In fact the 'Orientalism' was not only Allen's thought. Many western visitors thought Korean as an 'Orient'. The West regarded themselves as civilized and the East as uncivilized or barbarous, therefore the West thought that the East should be modernized with the help of the West. This thought rationalized their imperialism and colonialism toward the East. In addition, he seemed to have some ambition in politics and diplomatics. He wanted to be a high-ranking official, so his goal of his life was political or economical power rather than medical missionary.
Clinical Medicine/history ; Colonialism/history ; Democratic People's Republic of Korea ; History of Medicine ; History, 19th Century ; History, 20th Century ; Hospitals/history ; *Human Body ; Humans ; Politics ; *Recognition (Psychology) ; Religion and Medicine ; Republic of Korea ; United States

PURPOSE: Non-blood transfusion is of increasing interest as more patients are refusing a blood transfusion because of religious belief, infection, or fear of a blood-transmitted disease such as AIDS. This study analyzed clinical findings to help the treatment and management of patients who want a non-blood transfusion. METHODS: Of the 83 patients who visited the non-blood transfusion center in Chosun University Hospital from June 2001 to December 2003, 59 patients had a sufficient clinical record, and these were reviewed retrospectively. We investigated sex, age, the reason for the visit, the reason for refusing a blood transfusion, the degree of anemia, the necessity of the blood transfusion, the histories of transfusion and attempted non-blood transfusion, and the histories of visits to emergency departments and the outcomes. RESULTS: The male-to-female ratio was 1:2.93, and the most prevalent ages of the patients were in the forties (26 patients) and thirties (10 patients). The reasons for refusing a blood transfusion were religion (48 patients, 81.4%), risk of infection (1 patients, 1.7%), and other (10 patients, 16.9%). Among the specialty departments, the proportions of patients from the departments of obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, general surgery and orthopedics were 40.7% (24 patients), 25.4%, 11.9%, and 6.8%, respectively. Of the patients, 28 patients (47.5%) were admitted directly to the emergency department, and 39 patients (66.1%) were operated on. A blood transfusion was considered to be necessary for 16 patients (27.1%), but only a 2 patients (3.4%) actually received a blood transfusion. Of those 14 patients, 3patients (21.4%) died. After admission, 17 patients (29.8%) received a non-blood transfusion. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the patients visited the non-blood transfusion center for religious reasons, and the majority of the patients were admitted from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Many of the patients medically should have received blood transfusion, but only a few actually did.
Anemia ; Blood Transfusion* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Internal Medicine ; Obstetrics ; Orthopedics ; Religion ; Retrospective Studies

Cloning, Organism ; legislation & jurisprudence ; methods ; Ethics, Medical ; Genetic Techniques ; Humans ; Religion and Medicine ; Stem Cell Transplantation