There have been several similar studies over the last 20 years. The first I can recall was one where medical students were asked if they were comfortable treating people with HIV\AIDS and the majority were not.
Following a change in the curriculum to teach them how to treat and accept people with HIV|AIDS the majority of medics became very accepting of treating such clients.
In Melbourne a few years ago a similar survey was gone through for medical students and treating transgender people. The majority were not comfortable. Colleagues of mine started giving lectures in the medical course on what transgender is and how to accept, talk to and treat transgender people. Acceptance and 'comfort' in treating transgender clients improved diametrically.
I now give a lectures to medical students in Adelaide along the same lines and they are well received with interesting questions and a dramatic change in acceptance and understanding.
Ignorance is not bliss; Ignorance is fear. When you remove ignorance the fear goes very quickly.
WPATH and the other regional PATH's are now rolling out educational material for GPs and health professionals generally. EPATH has a very good resource that has been well received for example and CPATH has similar training material. ANZPATH is working with its education committee to formalise such material and we have lectures in NSW, Vic and SA for medical students.
I think it is pertinent to remember that medics come from the general community. Transgender issues are now in the news but still many health professionals have not been exposed to the topic in a practical way. That is changing.
A point in case. I started at the beginning of the year with a new GP. She was very interested and concerned for my health and deeply wanted to have me as client to look after ALL of my health issues as an ex male and as a female now and in the future but she said she had no idea of how to treat a transgender woman and what health issues I may have to look out for. She asked me to return in two weeks.
I returned and she just said, Cindy I have studied transgender medical issues for the last two weeks and I feel confident now that I can look after you. Would you be comfortable with having me as your personal physician?
Of course I said yes, and she has been wonderful.
Ignorance is fear. Education is power.
