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15 TIPS FOR FEMALE PATIENTS TO AVOID SEXUAL ABUSE AND INVASION OF PRIVACY IN MEDICAL SETTINGS
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In society, girls and women are always given tips on how to
protect themselves from sexual abuse, but you rarely hear about how to prevent
sexual abuse in medical settings. Sexual abuse in medical settings is more
common than many people realize.
If you look through medical boards and newspapers in the United
States, you will notice that some doctors and nurses have been accused of sexual
misconduct. There are many unreported cases because patients are afraid to speak
up about the abuse they experienced because they know that it is very easy for
doctors and nurses to get away with wrongdoing. Some doctors that have committed
sexual misconduct have continued to practice.
(1.) Choose your healthcare providers carefully.
(2.) It is best for a female patient to never go to a
male gynecologist if possible. If you already have a male gynecologist,
you should look at switching to a female gynecologist. There
are so many good female ob/gyns you could choose from. If your area doesn't have
any female ob/gyns, you should check into having a female Nurse Practitioner or
Physician's Assistant do your women's health examinations. If you do research,
you will find cases of sexual abuse by male gynecologists all over the US. You
are in a very vulnerable position when you let a male doctor do intimate
procedures on you. Having a nurse or an assistant present in the room with the
doctor doesn't guarantee that nothing inappropriate would happen to you.
Remember that the nurse or assistant is present to "protect" the doctor and will
often be on the doctor's side. There have been cases where female patients felt
the male doctor went too far, but the nurse or assistant felt he was simply
doing thorough examinations. There was one case where everything happened so
quickly that took the nurse off guard and she was not able to report what
happened until the female patient left. It is certainly not worth the risk to
let a male doctor do intimate female procedures or examinations. It would also
be prudent to have a female doctor perform your colonoscopy if you must have the
procedure. Some male gastroenterologists have taken advantage of women while
they were under anesthesia for colonoscopy. One female patient found semen from
the doctor on her face after she woke up from a colonoscopy in a Texas hospital.
Check out a disciplinary action that was taken against another
gastroenterologist that has been accused of sexually assaulting some female
patients by Wisconsin Department of Regulation & Licensing.
(3) Even with female ob/gyns, you have to take
some precautions. It is very rare for female ob/gyns to
commit sexual misconduct, but it is possible. Some female doctors are very
coercive when it comes to doing things. You need to speak up about things you
don't want to be done to you. For example, one female ob/gyn ignored a lady's
wishes in writing that she didn't want any medical students present for her
C-Section. It is wise to have someone who can help you advocate for what you
want. You should ask the female ob/gyn to tell you in details about what exactly
what she will be doing and if there is anything you don't like, you should speak
up. Find out who all will be present for the procedure.
(4.) Do not allow yourself to be pressured into
having a pelvic exam, pap smear, or breast exam at any doctor appointments. Some
female patients have gone to the doctor for other health concerns and were
pressured into having unnecessary examinations. For instance if you go in for a
sore throat and you think you may have strep throat, don't spend time listening
to a lecture by the doctor about how important it is to have a pap smear and
that you need one today. If something like that happens, tell the doctor you are
not interested and you only want to talk about the reason you came in (ex: your
throat is sore).
(5.) Don't undress or put on a medical gown
when it is unnecessary and/or you feel uncomfortable. There are so many
procedures and tests that doctors can do on you without you having to change
your clothes. For example, there's no need to change into a medical gown for a
strep throat test.
(6.) Keep in mind that it is unnecessary for
you to take your shirt off for the doctor to listen to your heart. You should
wear a thin shirt and not a sweatshirt. It is strange, but many doctors don't
even ask men to take their shirts off to listen to their hearts, but they ask
women to. That tells you something is wrong.
(7.) You should think in advance about what
parts of your body the doctor should examine and dress accordingly. For instance
if you have a knee problem that you want the doctor to check out, you should put
shorts instead of pants on so you would not have to take any of your clothes off
in the doctor's office.
(8.) Do not listen to recommendations from family members or friends about male gynecologists who may be good. Many people thought that the male gynecologists who have sexually abused patients were wonderful doctors who would never do anything inappropriate. Find yourself a female gynecologist to avoid the risk that you might be abused by a male doctor. Some women prefer female midwives or Nurse Practitioners to do their women's wellness exams and that is a good choice too.
(9.) If you are going to be put under anesthesia, you should insist that you have a family member or a friend present for your procedure to protect you. Patients who are under anesthesia are very vulnerable because they have no control over what happens. Many patients are unnecessarily stripped naked for surgeries. One female hand surgery patient had her gown and underwear removed after she was put under anesthesia. The only reason she found out was because she woke up in middle of the surgery.
(10.) Never assume that a well-respected doctor will never do anything inappropriate. A well-respected doctor did unnecessary breast exams on high school girls whose mothers were not present for sports physicals.
(11.) Never assume that your male doctor of many years is not capable of abusing you because he has not abused you in the past. One lady was abused by her doctor after seeing him for many years.
(12.) Make a firm decision that you will not let a male doctor or nurse touch any parts of your body that are covered by a two piece bathing suit. This is a good way to prevent you from being sexually abused by a male medical personnel.
(13.) If you must be hospitalized, it would be best if you could have someone not employed by the hospital present with you at least most of the time especially when you are asleep or drowsy.
(14.) Insist that no male nurse give you a bath or do intimate procedures on you such as urinary catheterizations. Many unnecessary urinary catheterizations are done. If you must be catheterized, ask that a female nurse insert your catheter.
(15.) Insist on a female technician for EKG, transvaginal ultrasound (if needed), etc.
[sexualmisconductbydoctors.com]
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