Lack Of Queer Education In Medical Schools

Despite the growing numbers of Americans who identify as LGBTQ (queer) the community still lacks basic resources and support. One sector that is particularly inefficient and harmful is the health care system. Numerous studies illustrate the shortcomings of medical schools and the medical care systems from the mid-nineties through the 2011. The studies focus on the lack of queer education in the schooling process, the specific health issues that queer people face, and the barriers to care. However, there is little discussion about the patients themselves, their experiences under this broken system or the ways that inadequate services affect their health and access to or desire for care. This review examines the literature focused on three factors …show more content…
The studies examined the hours given to the subject (Juno Obedin-Maliver et al., 2011; Wallick et al., 1992), the topics covered (Juno Obedin-Maliver et al., 2011) , the barriers to information (Knight et al., 2014) and material dissemination (Juno Obedin-Maliver et al., 2011; Wallick et al., 1992). According to Wallick et al. in 1991 the average number of hours dedicated to LGBTQ teaching was "3 hours and 6 minutes" total (601), which had only increased to five total hours by 2011 (Juno Obedin-Maliver et al., 2011;Sanchez et al., 2006). Moreover, in the study conducted by Maliver et al. who 's survey was taken by 150 of 176 medical schools in The USA and Canada, 41.4% of the schools surveyed reported zero hours in the clinical years of medical school, limited the opportunity for students to gain real practice with the community. The study of LGBTQ related teaching in medical school is the focus of Wallick et al. 's investigation. The study illustrates that one main style of teaching about the queer community is through "lectures in human sexuality"; where the more recent study by Maliver et al. found a wider variety of methods, yet they are still deficient in both quantity and quality (Juno Obedin-Maliver et al., 2011,974-975). Additionally, under the study conducted by Maliver et al. only 83 schools out of 132 taught "at least half of the 16 topics" concerning LGBTQ topics, such as, …show more content…
Primarily, the absence of queer voices in their own narrative is deeply problematic as they are the people who are most effected by the failures of medical education and the health care system. Another major issue is when LGBTQ youth are discussed in medical studies they are only framed under their risk areas and limited down to their sexuality. There is no conversation concerning how anti-gay sentiment affects the general health of youth who require, and avoid medical treatment for common issues. Moreover, the research presents the patients sexual orientation as the causation for the health risks such as partner violence or self-harm, instead of a correlation. Finally, there is little contemporary research that explains the state of LGBTQ teaching in medical schools after 2011 hindering the ability to explore changes and expose continued problem sectors. The research I propose to do would fill the void of LGBTQ voices through interviews with queer youth pertaining to their experiences in the American medical