Dmitriy Yakovenko: Very little. I remember on the second year on philosophy there was one two-hour study on which we "passed through" the theory of S. Freud. Now, Andrei, in the west at each college, even not medical, the whole semester they study Freud's psychology of sexuality.

A.M.: And at the Department of Psychology, doesn't really there a talk turn to it?

D.YA.: Unfortunately there is no the Department of Psychology in Lugansk Medical University. A course of psychology, again, is "passed through" by first-year students at the Department of Psychiatry, where all bias - in the side of rough psychopathology. Regular psychology and problems of sex is not studied practically. There is such impression that for the future doctors it is not necessary. Though it is already proved that the majority of somatic diseases arises from sexual disharmony. The problem of homosexuals for six years of training appeared momentarily only at the lecture on AIDS and in the documentary film created in 1960 and dedicated to Article 122 and venereal diseases of gays.

A.M.: Dima, how do medical students regard to homosexuality?

D.YA.: The opinions are most different. One guy, future surgeon, I remember, said: "Were my will, all queers would be shot! " Now, already in the internature, I still hear from the doctors the similar declarations, in which basis lay complete misunderstanding of sex-minorities' problems, low level of knowledge on questions of sexology, and, unfortunately, low level of culture of the society.

There are certainly guys rather loyally regarding homosexuals. But in the majority - the narrow-minded point of view. I recollect as in conversation with me the young teacher, writing the doctor dissertation, exclaimed: "But it's a perversion!".

As a whole I consider that the attitude to this problem depends on good breeding, restraint, culture of the person. But to rise this theme, to speak about it, to read lectures in medical universities today as necessaryly as to study diseases.

We make a request to comment this material to doctor-psychiatrist Alexey N. Linev, putting an additional question: the people of medical specialities, admittedly, should be rather more educated of average mass, to understand good all subtleties of human mentality, variety of sexual displays and inclinations of a person. However, as the practice shows, very large part of medical people looks at the people of homosexual orientation just as all the society, with suspicion, intolerance. Why?

Mr. Linev has kindly answered our request, by asking to consider his letter only as an opinion of the private person. We print the answer with some abridgments.

The question which is mentioned in interview with my colleague and then in the letter of Mr. Maymulakhin is not simple.

I shall begin with general, perhaps even banal theses. I think that there should not to do some "superman" from a representative of any speciality, whether it be doctor or mountain-rescuer, it is does not correspond to the true. That person is the member of a larger social group and the features of psychology of this group will dominate above the professional features.

Let's analyse problems of mutual relation of homosexual patient with doctor, previously by dividing homosexual patients into such groups:

1. Persons hiding their orientation and privately supporting intimate relations with the adult persons the same sexual orientation.
2. Persons by virtue of their views declaring advantages of homosexual orientation over heterosexual or creating problems by enetring into relations with young persons who still have not defined their sexual orientation.
3. People with anomalies of person who are not able to hide the homosexual orientation.
4. Homosexuals suffering from mental diseases.

Now first group of patients with homosexual orientation will not cause any special emotions in any doctor.

But... Morbidity of homosexuals, for example, with mental diseases, is not investigated, in any case in sufficient volume. Atypicalness of sexual development of such person and pressing on him on the part of the society hardly will serve as the factor stabilizing his mentality. I think that persons with the peculiarites of sexual orientation require greater attention and care on the part of polyclinical medical and social- psyhological service than heterosexual ones. I have the reasons to believe that such point of view will be shared by the majority of doctors.

The second group of homosexuals hardly can expect for a positive estimation from the majority of doctors. Here from many colleagues during conversation with them on this theme I heard so: "If the legislation allows (does not forbid) propaganda of homosexual orientation, the legislation allows (does not forbid) its condemnation too".

But from anybody among my colleagues, polled by me, I did not hear even an idea about necessity of any pressing toward homosexuals. By the way, the known article of the former Criminal Code of Ukrainian SSR all colleagues, polled by me, condemned categorically and emphasized the equality of both homosexuals and heterosexuals in face of the law.

The third and fourth group all polled doctors are regarded as patients, nobody condemned them. Everyone emphasized their right of medical treatment.

The next question is training of a doctor in questions of sexology at our university. In the first year at the Pedagogical Department the students learned a course of general psychology along with studies in sexology, in the third year during a semester they study medical psychology along with obligatory studies in analysis of variants of sexual behaviour and learn a medical course of sexology and sexopathology. In the fourth year they study psychiatry along with the obligatory analysis of sexopathology questions.

I want to finish the letter constructively, by rising three problems. It is necessary:

1. Even selective research of the condition of the mental health of homosexuals.
2. Questioning of the doctors for ascertainment of their attitude to features of sexual orientation of a patient.
3. Organization of courses of psychiatry (certainly, including questions of sexopathology) for doctors of common practice.

A.N. Linev, doctor-psychiatrist of highest category, experience 19 years, assistant of the Department of Psychiatry, Narcology and Medical Psychology of Lugansk State Medical University, Candidate of Medical Sciences.