Original Publication
Teaching Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Pediatric Clinical
Settings: A Training Workshop for Faculty and Residents
Caroline R. Paul, MD*, Adam D. Wolfe, MD, PhD, Marina Catallozzi, MD, MSCE, Thanakorn Jirasevijinda, MD, Eric Kutscher, MD, Brian Lurie,
MD, MPH
*Corresponding author: caroline.paul@nyulangone.org
Abstract
Introduction: Health disparities for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, all other genders, sexes, and
sexualities (LGBTQIA+) population are striking. Yet, deliberate eforts to integrate sexual orientation and gender identity in pediatric
education settings remain lacking. The type of formal training that pediatric educators currently have for teaching of sexual orientation
and gender identity is unclear and limited, which led to the development and implementation of this curriculum. Methods: A 2-hour
workshop was developed to address gaps in knowledge, equip faculty and resident educators with skills to apply key concepts in
teaching activities, and motivate them to examine challenges and opportunities in teaching sexual orientation and gender identity
principles in their routine duties in pediatric settings across the undergraduate and graduate education spectrum. Learning strategies of
the workshop included learner activation, a didactic, and clinical cases with role-play opportunities. Participants completed evaluations at
the end of the workshop. Results: The workshop was implemented in three varied educational settings in 2019. All 65 participants
enrolled in the workshop completed the evaluations. Evaluations ranged from 4.6 to 4.9 on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree,
5 = strongly agree). Participants reported workshop strengths and anticipated impact on their own teaching and clinical practice.
Discussion: Stark health disparities for the LGBTQIA+ population and gaps in relevant curricula demand a training intervention for
pediatric educators. We demonstrated the successful implementation of a training workshop, with evidence of feasibility and
generalizability, that addressed knowledge gaps and teaching and clinical skills.
Keywords
Faculty Development, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Pediatrics, LGBTQ+, Resident-as-Teacher, Clinical Teaching/Bedside Teaching,
Diversity, Inclusion, Health Equity
Educational Objectives
By the end of this activity, learners will be able to:
1. Define key concepts of sexual orientation and gender
identity as related to pediatric clinical care.
2. Apply these concepts to commonly encountered clinical
scenarios related to sexual orientation and gender identity.
3. Identify challenges and opportunities for teaching
sexual orientation and gender identity in routine clinical
Citation:
Paul CR, Wolfe AD, Catalozzi M, Jirasevijinda T, Kutscher EJ, Lurie B.
Teaching sexual orientation and gender identity in pediatric clinical
settings: a training workshop for faculty and residents.
MedEdPORTAL. 2021;17:11137.
https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.11137
educational duties in the general, subspecialty, and acute
care pediatric settings.
Introduction
Significant health disparities continue to exist for the lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, all other
genders, sexes, and sexualities (LGBTQIA+) population in
the United States, with sexual and gender minorities facing
higher rates of HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections (STIs),
depression, suicide, and substance use disorders.
1,2
Within
the pediatric population, these disparities are disturbing, with
close to a third of LGBTQIA+ minority youth reporting having
attempted suicide, which is double the rate of their heterosexual,
cisgender counterparts, 84% reporting verbal harassment,
30% being physically harassed, and increased rates of STIs
among males having sex with males, which is in stark contrast
to decreased rates of gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis for all
other adolescent groups.
3
Copyright © 2021 Paul et al. This is an open-access publication distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution license. 1/8