Implementation of LGBTQ Education for Dental Students

Abstract

 Abstract Lesbian, gay, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals experience health disparities due to hesitation in seeking medical care and a lack of understanding of healthcare professionals. However, there have been no reports of LGBTQ content in Japanese dental education. To promote understanding of LGBTQ issues from a medical and dental perspective, we introduced LGBTQ content for second-year dental students. This study examined students’ self-reported attitudes toward the LGBTQ community using the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Development of Clinical Skills Scale (LGBT-DOCSS) Attitudinal Awareness Subscale, both before and after the lecture-based LGBTQ education and identified categories from reflective writings. The median (interquartile range) on the LGBT-DOCSS Attitudinal Awareness Subscale following intervention revealed a significant increase from 6.14 (5.00-6.57) to 6.57 (5.57-7.00) (p＜0.01). Five categories were identified from reflective writings, including “learning as general knowledge,” “the need to understand LGBTQ from a medical perspective,” “health disparities among LGBTQ individuals,” “breaking away from the preconception that LGBTQ individuals are unrelated to dentistry” and “uneasiness about treating them as special.” Although only one lecture was given, students were able to recognize the need to know about LGBTQ in dentistry. It is necessary to introduce LGBTQ content in Japanese dental education to address the unique needs and health disparities of the LGBTQ population.