Exposure to and Attitudes Regarding Transgender Education Among Urology Residents

Abstract

Introduction Transgender individuals are underserved within the health care system but might increasingly seek urologic care as insurers expand coverage for medical and surgical gender transition. Aim To evaluate urology residents' exposure to transgender patient care and their perceived importance of transgender surgical education. Methods Urology residents from a representative sample of U.S. training programs were asked to complete a cross-sectional survey from January through March 2016. Main Outcome Measures Respondents were queried regarding demographics, transgender curricular exposure (didactic vs clinical), and perceived importance of training opportunities in transgender patient care. Results In total, 289 urology residents completed the survey (72% response rate). Fifty-four percent of residents reported exposure to transgender patient care, with more residents from Western (74%) and North Central (72%) sections reporting exposure (P ≤ .01). Exposure occurred more frequently through direct patient interaction rather than through didactic education (psychiatric, 23% vs 7%, P < .001; medical, 17% vs 6%, P < .001; surgical, 33% vs 11%, P < .001). Female residents placed greater importance on gender-confirming surgical training than did their male colleagues (91% vs 70%, P < .001). Compared with Western section residents (88%), those from South Central (60%, P = .002), Southeastern (63%, P = .002), and Mid-Atlantic (63%, P = .003) sections less frequently viewed transgender-related surgical training as important. Most residents (77%) stated transgender-related surgical training should be offered in fellowships. Conclusion Urology resident exposure to transgender patient care is regionally dependent. Perceived importance of gender-confirming surgical training varies by sex and geography. A gap exists between the direct transgender patient care urology residencies provide and the didactic transgender education they receive.

Transgender-Related Education in Plastic Surgery and Urology Residency Programs

“…Likewise, the surgical community should attempt to uniformly support efforts to understand transgender patients' surgical needs and outcomes. 16 Approximately 70% of plastic surgery residents 17 and 77% of urology residents 18 endorse the necessity of specialty training opportunities in genderconfirming surgery. However, our findings showed that only 24% and 11% of plastic surgery and urology programs, respectively, offer structured curricular content.…”

The primary health care of transgender adults

“…[67][68][69][70] Providing education to medical students about gender dysphoria is associated with improved knowledge, attitudinal change and professionalism. 71 Like the cisgender population, transgender people experience health issues that are not related to gender at all; educating all health professionals about transgender people will improve the access of transgender people to the varied general health resources they may require.…”

U.S. Oral and Maxillofacial Residents’ Experience with Transgender People and Perceptions of Gender‐Affirmation Education: A National Survey

“…Education on the care of sexual and gender minority patients has been found to be lacking not only in medical education and medical residency programs, but in predoctoral dental education. [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32] For this reason, many providers may be uncomfortable with the delivery of care to transgender people.…”