“We advocate, we educate, we empower”
Our research and resource team is dedicated to using the scientific approach to investigate sexual health inequities, and create realistic and useful resources that bridges the gap in our current healthcare system. The research and resource team actively seeks and works with external partners to ensure our research and resources are intersectional and community derived and/or approved. To partner on a research or resource project with Sex[M]ed and/or access more information on our research papers contact research@thesexmed.com.
Some of Our Current and Past Projects:
The Rainbow Bridge Project:
The Rainbow Bridge is a sexual health initiative that is dedicated to combatting health inequities that negatively affect 2SLGBTQIA+ patients through education of healthcare professionals and trainees. We believe that a key aspect of improving 2SLGBTQIA+ health outcomes begins with providing inclusive, safe, and affirming 2SLGBTQIA+ health education. However, healthcare professionals often fail to receive adequate training regarding the specific health needs of their 2SLGBTQIA+ patients. In order to bridge this educational gap, we are developing a workshop for Canadian healthcare practitioners, trainees, and students. Through interactive modules and case studies from members within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, we aim to equip folks in medicine with the knowledge and tools necessary to provide inclusive, safe, and affirming care.
Canadian Medical School Curriculum Review:
A survey published in 2003 attempted to capture a picture of the sexual health education currently offered to American and Canadian medical students. The results indicated that there was huge variability in how much and what training was offered to medical students across different schools, with most schools devoting less than ten hours over a 4-year curriculum to sexual health topics (Solursh et al., 2003). This systematic literature review will therefore determine to what degree key topics of sexual health are covered in Canadian medical school curriculums and what emphasis is placed on them. The results of this data will be used to inform the operational basis of Sex[M]ed as well as to inform community engagement, future resource development, and policy changes for sexual health in the Canadian medical curriculum.
Starting at the Source – Reforming Medical School Curricula to Improve Health Outcomes for 2SLGBTQIA+ Patients:
This literature review examines how undergraduate medical school curricula in North America can be reformed to be respectful and inclusive of 2SLGBTQIA+ unique experiences and needs as well as how to best teach a comprehensive and diverse sexual health education to medical school students. The literature review is divided as follows: the first section provides a brief history of how dominant medical institutions and programs pathologize and ignore 2SLGBTQIA+ folks, which translates into disparate health outcomes. The second section is an evaluation of the current state of North American medical school curricula and evidence of its longstanding inadequacies regarding sexual and gender minorities’ health. This transitions into recommendations based on extensive research on how to improve 2SLGBTQIA+ health content in medical school curricula and related teaching methods. It concludes with an analysis of successful curricula and immersion programs.
The “Weight” of Words – Exploring the Effects of Language on Medicalized Stigma Towards Fat Sexuality:
Fatphobia, the fear or hatred of fatness, is a common area of stigma within contemporary society. Medicalized stigma, especially surrounding fat sex and sexuality, is impacted greatly by the language that is used within the medical space and in research to refer to fat individuals. This paper explores why language matters, what the previous literature’s perspective is on the topic, as well as how language impacts stigma towards fat sexuality. Through this, this paper seeks to answer the question, “How does language affect medicalized stigma towards fat sexuality?”. Additionally, while recognizing the stigma of the word, for the sake of this paper, the word “fat” will be used as a descriptor.
Discussing Sexual Pleasure in the Doctors Office:
This project aims to look at how sexual pleasure can be better incorporated into healthcare. Some of our questions include: What are the needs of providers and patients for developing a resource guide on discussing sexual pleasure in the doctors office? What role does/can sexual pleasure play in medicine? What are the gaps and needs in discussing sexual pleasure in the doctors office from a provider perspective and from a patient perspective? How are sexual health experts, organizations, professionals, and clinics currently addressing these gaps and needs?
How Stigma Surrounding Sexual Health in Canadian Healthcare Impacts Sexual Health Outcomes – A Systematic Review:
The stigma surrounding sexual health in Canadian healthcare is one that is well documented. The general lack of sexual health training for health care practitioners leads to low confidence in discussing topics surrounding sexual health and thus these topics are largely ignored. The primary objective of this ongoing systematic review is to determine if the existing literature surrounding sexual health outcomes and stigma supports the current ideology that we are experiencing negative patient outcomes due to stigmatized care.
Fostering Inclusive Spaces in Healthcare for 2SLGBTQ+ Folks:
2SLGBTQ+ people face disproportionate levels of hardship when trying to access healthcare. Past negative experiences with discrimination, dismissal, intrusive questioning, and trivialization of experiences often make queer folks feel like they are unwelcome in health settings, and prevent them from seeking the care they need. However, creating a welcoming and inclusive space for all is relatively simple: it only requires consideration of this community’s lived reality and needs, and a willingness to integrate some new perspectives and ways of doing into your daily practice. In this poster presentation, in collaboration with Treat it Queer, we use a scenario in which a 2SLGBTQ+ patient attends your practice to “walk” you through the different steps of a typical patient-provider interaction. Each stage provides discussion points on things to consider, tips and tricks, reflection prompts, and explanations on the ways in which you can make your practice a more open and welcoming place for queer people.
