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In a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers reported that medical schools are not doing enough to expose students to the unique health concerns of LGBT patients.
The survey asked US and Canadian medical school deans questions regarding the amount of time reserved in the curriculum for LGBT content. The online survey received an 85% response rate. In an accompanying editorial, a Northwestern Medical School dean commented that this high rate was a sign that deans considered the issue important, but that the research could have explored other metrics besides the curriculum, including the extent to which medical school faculties included gay or lesbian instructors.
Still, the results of the survey are instructive. The average curriculum ascribes just five hours to teaching LGBT-related content. One of every three schools fulfilled no hours. More than one of four deans considered their schools' coverage of 16 relevant topics, including sex change surgery, mental health issues and AIDS, to be "poor" or "very poor."
This is despite the Association of American Medical Colleges' recommendation to teach such issues enough for future doctors to provide adequate care. Unfortunately, without enough training, many doctors are prone to make the wrong assumptions about their patients' health. For example, some doctors do not realize that lesbians need Pap tests as often as do heterosexual women.
A related concern is the lack of research on LGBT health issues in the first place. However, some things are known, including elevated risk of depression, suicide attempts, homelessness, and violent victimhood. Lesbians are also more prone to obesity and breast cancer.
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