Original ArticlesEvidence-Based Curricular Content Improves Student Knowledge and Changes Attitudes towards Transgender Medicine
Section snippets
INTRODUCTION
The defining trait of a transgender individual is a gender identity that is incongruent with one's sexual anatomy (1). This incongruence can cause distress and is associated with a high susceptibility to anxiety and mood disorders, which can be further exacerbated by societal discrimination and rejection by friends and family (2., 3., 4.).
Some physicians question the legitimacy and effectiveness of cross-sex hormone therapy (5). There is also a misconception among some physicians that gender
Curriculum Content
A single lecture on the biologic evidence for the durability of gender identity was added to the mandatory first-year curriculum at Boston University School of Medicine.
Study Design
There were 2 studies: a pre-post audience-response survey and a pre-post exam-style survey.
There Was a Significant Increase in Students Recognizing the Durable Biologic Nature of Gender Identity
There were a total of 43 students who responded to the pre-post audience response survey. There were 2 students who only responded to the prelecture survey and 2 different students who only responded to the postlecture survey. Therefore, there were 41 total students who responded to the prelecture survey and 41 total students who responded to the postlecture survey (Table 1). Prelecture, a significant number of students, 46% (n = 41), believed that hormone levels were primarily responsible for
DISCUSSION
This is the first study to demonstrate that an evidence-based gender identity educational intervention can improve medical students' knowledge of and attitudes toward transgender medicine.
One of the largest sources of disparity in access to healthcare for transgender patients is a lack of knowledgeable care providers (5,17). This problem is exacerbated by the paucity of transgender medicine content in most medical school curricula (5). The curriculum content in this study aimed to ameliorate
CONCLUSION
The addition of transgender medicine content to a medical school curriculum with a focus on the biologic evidence for a durable gender identity is an effective means of educating students about the etiology of gender identity and the appropriateness of cross-sex hormone therapy as a treatment for transgender patients.
DISCLOSURE
The authors have no multiplicity of interest to disclose.
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See accompanying article, p. 899.