Global focus on med college transgender health study
Times of India | 27 February 2025
Kolkata: A study conducted among students at KPC Medical College regarding their knowledge about transgender health issues and their attitudes revealed a glaring gap in their familiarity with transgender health issues and comfort in treating them for gender-related medical issues.
The study, titled "Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Study Amongst Medical Students of Kolkata, India Regarding Transgender Health Issues", highlighted the need to include transgender-specific healthcare issues in the Indian medical curriculum. The study report was approved for presentation at an international medical conference in the Netherlands.
Health experts stated that transgender individuals face unique healthcare needs that are often unmet due to systemic barriers and social stigma. They frequently report harassment when seeking care for even common health issues, which primarily stems from a lack of sensitisation and awareness.
The study found that 77% of medical students were unaware of transgender health issues, and 62% said they would not be comfortable providing medical care to transgender patients. Meanwhile, 55% indicated that their inhibitions would cease if they received dedicated training on transgender health issues. Overall, 70% strongly agreed on the need to include this issue in their curriculum.
"There is a concerning gap in the knowledge and acceptability among medical students when it comes to transgender health and medical issues. These medical students will be doctors tomorrow, and hence, they need to be sensitised. There are no dedicated teaching hours in the medical curriculum on transgender health issues yet," said Subhrojyoti Bhowmick, VP, academics at KPC Medical College.
Bhowmick, along with the pharmacology department's Ankita Roy, guided Swastika Mandal, a second-year MBBS student, in the study, while Purushottam Dutta of Ramakrishna Mission Sevapratisthan helped compile the data.
Swastika Mandal will present the paper during the International Student Congress of (bio) Medical Sciences in Groningen, Netherlands, in June.
Stay updated with breaking news, bank holidays and upcoming public holidays in march.