Equipping future clinicians : Inclusive anatomy teaching amid legal and social challenges to gender equity

Hall, Emily and White, Bethan and Sandhu, Seema and Ahmed, Abdul and Melling, Genevieve and Goswami, Asmita and Katti, Karuna and Mirza Torabi, Shahrzad and Rayman Silva, Montserrat and Garcia, Paula and Rapteas, Leandros (2026) Equipping future clinicians : Inclusive anatomy teaching amid legal and social challenges to gender equity. Journal of Anatomy. ISSN 0021-8782

Abstract

Anatomy education has historically underrepresented cisgender female, transgender female, intersex, ethnically diverse, and sexually diverse identities. This lack of representation reinforces narrow clinical norms and contributes to social and health inequalities. This project aimed to apply an original equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) framework to identify and address bias within the undergraduate medical anatomy curriculum. The framework focuses on three key areas: promoting positive representation of diversity, deconstructing assumed “norms,” and integrating social responsibility. It was used to evaluate and create inclusive anatomy worksheets, case studies, and illustrations, and to design four small-scale, student-led, mixed-methods studies exploring bias and perceptions in anatomy and clinical education. Medical students and anatomy teaching staff at the University of Birmingham participated in surveys and educational sessions. One study focused on reproductive anatomy and found that students believed female external genitalia were taught in less detail than male genitalia (p < 0.05) and reported feeling less prepared to address female health concerns (p < 0.05). Staff reported lower confidence in teaching female and intersex anatomy (p < 0.05), citing cultural sensitivities and a lack of training. Other studies explored student observations of gender and ethnicity bias in pain management. Students noted that female patients often had to advocate more strongly for pain relief and that psychological causes were more frequently attributed to women. However, many struggled to recognise the intersection of gender and ethnicity bias. To address underrepresentation, inclusive hybrid 3D-printed wax models representing diverse genital anatomy were developed. These were integrated into a self-directed session for students and staff, resulting in shifts in confidence and perceptions. The EDI framework also informed public engagement activities that aimed to challenge societal perceptions of bodies and pain. This project shows how an EDI framework can be used to improve representation and awareness in medicine and society. This need is amplified by the 2025 UK Supreme Court ruling, which upheld a legal definition of “woman” based solely on biological sex, excluding transgender and intersex individuals. Ethical approval was granted by the Department of Biomedical Science Ethics Committee, University of Birmingham, under reference numbers BMSRP_2025_EDU014, BMSRP_EDU015, BMSRP_2025_EDU17, and BMSRP_2025_PGR001.Session 7.