Virologists' Sex- and Gender-Based Medical Knowledge of COVID-19 Affects Quality of Students' Education

Abstract

Background: A sex- and gender-based approach to medical education is important to develop new knowledge and to improve quality of and equality within health care. Results of a systematic survey showed a lack of sex- and gender-based medical education at German medical faculties. The global severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic is affecting people from diverse backgrounds differently, and the reciprocal interactions between biological sex and sociocultural gender aspects with regard to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) necessitate an intersectional research approach and transfer to medical education. Methods: This descriptive-phenomenological qualitative online survey focused on the sex and gender knowledge of faculty staff and the status of implementation in medical education and research at departments of virology and immunology at German university hospitals. It comprised 16 questions generated by an expert consortium based on published research data. In the fall of 2021, 36 leading virologists were invited to participate anonymously in this survey. Results: The response rate was 44%. Most experts deemed sex and gender knowledge as not that important or not important. Almost half the lecturers supported a sex- and gender-based research design and sex-disaggregated analysis of animal study data. Biological sex differences and gender aspects regarding SARS-CoV-2 were at least occasionally addressed upon a student's request. Conclusion: Virologists attributed only minor importance to sex and gender knowledge, despite scientific evidence of sex and gender differences in the field of virology, immunology, and COVID-19 in particular. This knowledge is not systematically implemented in the curriculum, but rather only occasionally passed on to medical students.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• gender
• medical education
• SARS-CoV-2
• sex
• virology