LGBTQIA+ invisibility in nursing anatomy/physiology textbooks

Exposing othering in nursing education praxis

“…Additionally, they cite depictions of sexual function as being entirely reproductive, as well as consistently applied binary language around discussions of sexual function, leaving out transgender and intersex bodies altogether (Ray King et al, 2021). These findings are in line with those of De Guzman et al ( 2018) who noted a significant lack of…”

“…Ray King et al (2021) address the structural othering of LGBTQ+ populations in commonly used anatomy and physiology textbooks for undergraduate nursing programs. They highlight themes of heteronormativity, gender binarism, and androcentrism (Ray King et al, 2021). They note the androcentrism of the “male‐first” descriptions of multiple biological processes, from orgasm to embryonic differentiation, a disturbingly anthropomorphized description of the “active” role of sperm and the “passive” or receptive role of ova, and frequent elisions of gender and sex (Ray King et al, 2021).…”

“…Structural othering can occur at multiple sites within nursing education, including within empirical teaching materials such as textbooks. Ray King et al (2021) address the structural othering of…”

“It’s completely erasure”: A Qualitative Exploration of Experiences of Transgender, Nonbinary, Gender Nonconforming, and Questioning Students in Biology Courses

“…A study of common biology textbooks found that these books did not mention sexes beyond “male” and “female,” conflated sex and gender, and linked anatomical features of the human body to specific genders rather than making space for variation ( Bazzul and Sykes, 2011 ). A second study of anatomy and physiology textbooks used by nursing students found similar patterns ( Ray King et al. , 2021 ).…”

Who Is Your “We”?

“…Other ways NLNs are prepared for DEI as they enter nursing include being enculturated into the language of compliance/noncompliance (this is a theme in the Fadiman book as well) and service learning that often—though not always—seems to serve the students’ learning objectives more than the needs of the communities that are ostensibly receiving nursing care (Tillman et al, 2016). Lastly, NLNs encounter educational materials—from textbooks to lecture notes—that center heterosexual and cisgender bodies and experiences, with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) bodies and lives either absent altogether or mentioned strictly in terms of health disparities, such as HIV/AIDS for gay men or increased risk of suicide for transgender people (De Guzman et al, 2018; Ray King et al, 2021). Many of these texts similarly center Whiteness, with “other cultures” relegated to a brief table or section (Bonini & Matias, 2021).…”