A new study reveals that “medical schools set aside an average of only seven hours for topics related to the health care needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender patients,” according to healthfinder.gov.

Researchers surveyed deans from 150 American and Canadian medical schools and discovered that there was a “wide variation in the amount, content and quality of instruction on LGBT health.”

For instance, the study reported that one-third of the schools lacked LGBT content during their clinical years, 7 percent lacked content during their preclinical years and 4 percent had absolutely no content during any of their years.

“(LGBT) individuals have specific health and health care needs. Some of these pertain to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, adult and adolescent health issues and issues around gender identity, among others,” wrote Dr. Juno Obedin-Maliver of Stanford University School of Medicine, the lead author of the study.

Compared to others, Obedin-Maliver wrote, this group is “more likely to face barriers accessing appropriate medical care, which may create or increase existing disparities.”

The content and exact amount of time spent on LGBT health at Wayne State School of Medicine is unknown. This is similar to what the study authors found in other medical schools.

WSU Department of Pathology professor William Kupsky said there are on-campus activities, including an LGBT panel discussion and human sexuality week, about LGBT health that totals approximately seven hours. Kupsky is also director of the residency program, director of neuropathology rotation, director of autopsy conference and faculty adviser to LGBT People in Medicine.

“The LGBT panel discussion has run for the last two years as a mandatory two-hour session for first year medical students … in the medical school building, Scott Hall,” Kupsky said. “One dealt with gay or lesbian couples with children and child-care issues; the second dealt with various adults with general, non-HIV medical problems.”

During human sexuality week, the LGBT People in Medicine, an organization dedicated to promote dialogue in the medical community about LGBT issues and to promote understanding and acceptance of LGBT people, organized guest speakers for seminars for second-year medical students in early spring.

“I thought both were useful in making students more aware that LGBT people exist, have real families and lives and also have real normal medical issues, such as routine child care,” Kupsky said. “Discussions included when and what to ask about sexuality, when and when not to make assumptions about marital status, issues of custody and insurance coverage and so on.”

Upon hearing that there were about seven hours dedicated to teaching about LGBT health, the Bisexuals, Gays, Lesbians, Allies and Transgenders in Social Work Organization at WSU stated, “While seven hours does not seem like adequate time to educate medical students on the unique physical and mental health concerns facing the LGBT community, we recognize that these students face an intense curriculum. We would certainly support and advocate for a change in the program that would allow for more attention to be given to such issues.”