(PS9-67) The Development and Evaluation of a Sexual and Gender Minoritiy Health Education Program for Undergraduate Medical Students in Japan

Objectives: Recent surveys in Japan have identified that 8.9% of the population identifies as sexual and gender minorities (SGM), with over 40% reporting experiences of stigma and discrimination in healthcare. These findings highlight a pressing need for specialized medical education programs to address SGM health equity. Japan significantly lags behind Western countries in incorporating SGM health education into medical curricula, leaving medical students unprepared to address the unique healthcare needs of SGM populations. This study aims to bridge this gap by developing and evaluating an SGM health education program tailored for undergraduate medical students in Japan.

Methods: We developed a 3-hour educational module, inspired by the SGM Health Core Competencies outlined by Harvard Medical School while considering cultural and contextual perspectives. The module was integrated into a Psychology course for medical undergraduates. Utilizing a pretest-posttest single-group design, the study evaluated the module through validated measures, the LGBT Recognition Scale, the Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men Scale-20 items (ATLG-20), and the Measure of Empathy Scale (MES). Participation in the study was voluntary, with ethical approval obtained from the university's Institutional Review Board (IRB). Descriptive statistics and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were utilized to assess the program's impact on awareness of SGM health disparities and attitudes towards SGM, while also examining the role of empathy levels.

Results: Among 112 participants (mean age 18.49 years, SD=0.62), 22.32% had never studied gender or sexuality in class. A small fraction identified as SGM (2.68%), with 15.18% unsure. Participants' satisfaction with the lecture was high, with 99.11% expressing satisfaction, including 61.61% who were very satisfied. The content was found to be understandable by 98.21% of respondents, and 97.32% found it useful. Significant improvements were observed in SGM health disparity awareness and attitudes towards SGM individuals post-intervention, as evidenced by increases in LGBT Recognition Scale scores (F(1, 110)=35.09, p< .001, ηp2=0.24) and ATLG-20 scores (F(1, 110)=24.35, p< .001, ηp2=0.18). No significant interaction effects were found on the LGBT Recognition Scale or ATLG-20 scores from the MES scores, indicating that improvements in SGM health awareness and attitudes were consistent across varying levels of initial empathy.

Conclusion: This pioneering study in Japan demonstrates the effectiveness of a culturally tailored SGM health education program in enhancing the competencies and attitudes of medical students towards SGM healthcare. Amidst the scarcity of research on the effectiveness of SGM health equity education, particularly in Japan, these findings underscore the importance of such educational initiatives in medical curricula to prepare future healthcare providers for inclusive and equitable care delivery to SGM populations.