Nursing and medical students' attitude, knowledge and beliefs regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parents seeking health care for their children.
BACKGROUND
Little research has been conducted to investigate students' attitudes, knowledge and beliefs regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parents seeking health care for their children.


METHODS
Descriptive, comparative study. Validated scales were used to assess students' attitudes, knowledge and beliefs and gay affirmative practice. Three open ended questions assessed beliefs regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parents accessing health care for their children.


METHODS
Nursing and medical students completed questionnaires about attitudes to homosexuality. Associations between variables were assessed using chi-square tests of independence, and differences between nursing and medical student groups were assessed using the Mann-Whitney U-test or the Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance test. Responses to the open ended questions were evaluated, coded and described.


RESULTS
Knowledge and attitudes about homosexuality were significantly associated with students' race, political voting behaviour, religious beliefs and having a friend who is openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.


CONCLUSIONS
It is important to develop strategies to address the existence of prejudicial attitudes among student health professionals and prevent discriminatory practices towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parents when seeking health care for their children.


CONCLUSIONS
Educators can develop programs that provide students with knowledge and skills to ensure lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families receive effective health care when they access services for their children.
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia. r.chapman@curtin.edu.au
Rose
R
Chapman
Rochelle
R
Watkins
Tess
T
Zappia
Pam
P
Nicol
Linda
L
Shields
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006716:Homosexuality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016487:Parenting; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014189:Transsexualism / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult