Abstract:

Introduction:
The Spanish Public Health System is designed to provide universal health services, prevention and social rehabilitation programmes to maintain the health and wellness status of all citizens. LGBTI individuals, however, have specific needs that may not be completely fulfilled by Healthcare Systems, due to Health Service dehumanization, institutional barriers, absence of specific formation for health professionals and other social reasons, which leads to certain health disparities and worse health outcomes. For these reasons, there is a need to fill in the formation gap for health professionals, offering and a specific Higher Education transversal subject was proposed. It offers the possibility of understanding the LGBTI social reality and its specific health requirements.

Aims:
To improve the health professional overall formation regarding LGBTI reality and its peculiar health requirements through the creation of a new transversal subject open to all Higher Education students, especially to those who attend a health-related Degree course.

Design:
A specific Higher Education transversal subject was designed. The specific knowledge units were defined and the contents created. The course was structured in social and health sections. A round-table with LGTBI members was included in the didactic activities to make students get in touch with personal experiences and real problems these individuals got through in the Health System. Assessment was based on continued evaluation, team-based activities and a final objective evaluation. The course was taught during two academic years and the contents have been constantly increased through this time.

Results:
A three-credit course was created. The social section approached the variations in people of differing sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, the stigma-related social problems, the legal framework in which sexual diversity is located and the psychological origin of sexual diversity. The health section, on the other hand, approached Sexual Transmitted Infection prevalence in the LGBTI group, their prevention (including PEP and PrEP pharmacological prophylaxis) and treatments, gender reassignment and hormone therapy, reproductive health, Chemsex and illegal drugs and even drug-drug and drug-abuse substance interactions and nutritional care. Special attention was dedicated to transgender individuals throughout the entire course. The team was composed of Faculty Staff members and an ONG member.

Conclusions:
An innovative transversal subject has been implemented. It fills a content gap in the UCM Degrees, aiming to construct a humanised Health Service and to stimulate social inclusion.

Keywords:

Social Inclusion, Higher Education, Vulnerable Individuals, LGTBI, Health System Humanisation.