Work

Invisible women in anatomy: Medical students’ perceptions of sex representation in anatomical atlases

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Anatomical atlases remain a core resource in anatomy education, yet their visual content has long been criticised for imbalanced representation of female and male bodies. While numerous studies have analysed the content of atlases and textbooks, far less is known about how such representations are perceived by medical students themselves. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An anonymous survey was conducted among first- and second-year medical students from two academic centres in Poland. A structured, exploratory questionnaire included demographic items and eight Likert-scale statements addressing the educational role of anatomical atlases and perceptions of sex representation in anatomical imagery. A composite sex-representation awareness score was calculated from items Q2-Q8. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, non-parametric item-level comparisons, and model-based regression analysis to examine the association between students' perceptions and sex, academic centre, and year of study. RESULTS: A total of 257 students participated in the study. No significant differences in the composite awareness score were observed between academic centres or years of study. In contrast, students' sex emerged as a significant predictor: female students demonstrated higher awareness of insufficient female body representation in anatomical atlases compared with male students. Item-level analyses showed that female students more frequently recognised the predominance of male depictions and associated the lack of female representation with potential educational consequences, whereas male students more often accepted the existing visual dominance of male figures. CONCLUSIONS: Medical students are aware of sex imbalance in anatomical atlases, with female students showing greater sensitivity to this issue. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating students' perspectives into discussions of anatomical education and support the need for more balanced and inclusive visual representations in teaching materials.

Source: Annals of Anatomy - Anatomischer Anzeiger

DOI: 10.1016/j.aanat.2026.152795