Why Women Should Avoid Male Doctors For Intimate Female Health Issues?

It is prudent for women to avoid male doctors for intimate female health issues. It’s always a risk to allow a male doctor to do intimate procedures such as colonoscopies, pelvic exams, pap smears, rectal exams, and breast exams on you. Countless male doctors have sexually abused female patients. A woman is at far greater risk of becoming a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of a male doctor or nurse especially gynecologist than she is from men in the general population she may encounter on the street. Check out Important Information About Sexual Abuse By Male Doctors. Also, check out tips about how women can prevent sexual abuse in medical settings.

We strongly encourage women who currently see a male gynecologist to switch to a female gynecologist. If no female gynecologists are available in your area, consider traveling to a nearby town, even if the trip takes more than an hour.

Reasons To Avoid Male Doctors for Intimate Procedures:

1) Countless cases of sexual misconduct by male doctors have raised serious concerns about the safety of female patients during intimate examinations. Although a nurse or medical assistant may be present as a chaperone, their presence does not guarantee that misconduct will be prevented or detected. Chaperones may fail to recognize inappropriate behavior, may interpret a doctor's actions as routine medical practice, or may not witness everything that occurs.

There have been cases in which female patients felt that a male doctor had crossed professional boundaries, while the nurse or assistant present maintained that the doctor had done nothing inappropriate and was simply being thorough. In another reported case, events unfolded so quickly that the nurse was caught off guard and did not report what had happened until the female patient had left the room.

For further discussion, see Do Chaperones Really Protect Patients?

Remember that a doctor's professional reputation, experience, and respected standing in the community do not guarantee ethical conduct. Even a doctor who is widely admired can engage in sexual misconduct. A chaperone's presence should not be treated as an absolute guarantee of safety.

2) Male doctors are not morally superior to other men simply because they have medical training. Women should keep in mind that a male doctor may experience sexual arousal during an intimate examination or have sexual thoughts about a patient afterward. Sexual attraction is a normal human experience, and male doctors are not immune to it. No amount of professional training can guarantee that a doctor will never experience inappropriate thoughts, even if he behaves professionally at all times. News reports of sexual misconduct involving male OB/GYNs demonstrate that professional credentials alone cannot guarantee a patient's safety. Read the article Tide and Time, which recounts a doctor's experience with an attractive female patient. Although he always had a nurse present during pelvic examinations, this illustrates an important limitation of chaperones: a nurse can observe a doctor's behavior, but cannot monitor or control his private thoughts. Similarly, accounts of a medical student experiencing unexpected sexual thoughts while examining a female patient's heart, with her breasts exposed, highlight the possibility of sexual thoughts arising even in clinical settings.

3) Male doctors could secretly take photographs or videos of patients’ intimate body parts without their knowledge or consent. There have been documented cases of male doctors engaging in voyeurism and other forms of sexual misconduct. For example, Dr. Levy, a well-respected gynecologist who delivered babies and treated women for various reproductive health concerns, reportedly used a pen camera to secretly photograph patients over an extended period before he was arrested. Consider the profound violation these women experienced, not only from the betrayal of their doctor's trust but also from the possibility that their intimate images would be viewed by law enforcement personnel during the investigation.

In another case, doctor in Britain used a spy watch to record himself sexually abusing patients. Similarly, Dr. Paul Becton, a male gynecologist in Arkansas who was affiliated with a Baptist church and served as the medical director of a pro-life pregnancy center, reportedly used his cellphone to photograph women's intimate body parts without their consent. Many patients were shocked by these allegations because they had regarded him as a trustworthy and respected member of their community.

These cases illustrate that professional credentials, religious affiliations, and a positive public reputation cannot guarantee that a healthcare provider will never engage in misconduct.

Medical Patient Modesty has also received an email from a pastor who discovered the organization's website while researching this subject. The pastor explained that he had counseled a devoted Christian male doctor who privately confessed to struggling with lustful thoughts while performing intimate examinations on female patients. Portions of the email were redacted to protect confidentiality.

All women are encouraged to read this book, Women and Doctors by Dr. John Smith (The Atlantic Monthly Press, 1992), a former male gynecologist who courageously shared that after 24 years of medical education and clinical gynecological experience that men should not be gynecologists. “Male gynecologists, like all men, go through the kind of ‘attitude setting’ that occurs in the proverbial locker rooms while they are growing into manhood.” Dr. Smith, whose practice was in Colorado Springs, says that “It is common and acceptable among practicing gynecologists to speak about their patients' bodies, sexual behavior, or medical problems indiscriminately, in terms that are demeaning and reflect a lack of kindness and respect.” (p. 27) Becoming more explicit, he charges them with eroticizing the medical scene: “It is a rare male who is able to see women day in and day out, examine their bodies, hear details of their sex lives, and not only never have a lascivious thought or abuse that access but always remain clinical…” (p.29) He confesses that “I have had a colleague invite me to do an exam on one of his patients under the false guise of a consultation because ‘she has a body you won’t believe’.” “I have seen a physician walk out of an exam room and tell a hallway full of doctors and nurses about the disease his married patient had contracted as a result of an affair. I have seen more than one gynecologist walk into an operating room where another doctor’s patient was already asleep for surgery, lift up the sheet, admire the patient’s breasts, and continue his conversation without pause.” (p.27) Dr. Smith concluded dramatically: After twenty-four years of medical education and clinical gynecological experience, it is my opinion that males should not be gynecologists. The role properly belongs to women.” (p.29).

Although some male doctors are gentle and compassionate, sometimes even more so than certain female doctors, it is important to remember that a gentle demeanor and a caring bedside manner do not necessarily guarantee that a doctor will never engage in sexual misconduct. Some male doctors who have sexually abused female patients were regarded as kind, gentle, and compassionate by those they treated. If you find that your female gynecologist is too rough or makes you uncomfortable during an examination, choose another female doctor or qualified healthcare provider until you find someone who respects your comfort, dignity, and boundaries.

Beware of male gynecologic oncologists as well. Do not assume they are less of a concern simply because they specialize in treating gynecologic cancers. They perform many of the same intimate examinations and procedures as general gynecologists, including examinations involving women's most private areas. The case of Dr. James Heaps, a former UCLA gynecologist who was convicted of sexually abusing patients, serves as a disturbing reminder that even highly specialized physicians can betray their patients' trust.

Be prepared to cancel or reschedule your appointment if your female doctor is unavailable even if it means rescheduling the appointment. Before signing any patient paperwork, carefully review the cancellation policy and check whether you could be charged a fee for canceling or rescheduling. Do not feel pressured to accept a male doctor as a substitute.

Consider the experience of one woman who drove an hour to an appointment for a physical examination with a female doctor, only to discover upon arrival that her doctor was out sick. The receptionist offered her an appointment with a male doctor, and she agreed for two reasons: she assumed that he would not perform intimate examinations because she was not due for a Pap smear, and she did not want to take additional time off work to reschedule.

Unfortunately, the appointment did not go as she expected. According to her account, the male doctor persuaded her to undergo a breast examination, a rectal examination, and a Pap smear. She later felt deeply violated by the experience. When she expressed her concerns to the nurse who had been present, the nurse defended the doctor by saying that he always performed thorough examinations.

This experience highlights why it is important to establish your boundaries before an appointment and to remember that you can decline any examination or procedure you do not consent to.

Beware of Dual-Provider Agreements

Be aware that if you see a female nurse practitioner in a medical practice with a male gynecologist, you may be asked to sign a dual-provider agreement. Carefully review this policy before signing. In some practices, such an agreement may allow the male physician to participate in your care, even when your appointment is scheduled with a female nurse practitioner. Ask the office to explain exactly what the agreement permits and whether the male physician could perform or participate in intimate examinations.

Always Confirm Your Provider Before Changing Into a Gown

Before changing into a medical gown, confirm with the office staff that your appointment will be conducted by the female doctor or qualified female healthcare provider you selected. Do not assume that your original appointment arrangements will remain unchanged. A male physician could be assigned to cover for your female provider at the last minute, and you may not be informed until you arrive or begin your appointment.

Make your preferences clear before the examination begins. If a male provider is substituted without your knowledge or you are uncomfortable with the change, you can decline the examination and request to reschedule with your chosen female provider. Never feel obligated to proceed with an intimate examination simply because you have already arrived, changed into a gown, or signed paperwork.

** We are distributing stapled 12-page booklets to women about how they can protect themselves in medical settings and we are seeking volunteeers to help with distributing those booklets. We also need some financial support to pay for more booklets. You can see what the front cover of the booklet looks like by downloading this link. You can purchase booklets from this link. If you would like to volunteer to distribute booklets or support us financially, please

Watch History of Gynecology & How To Prevent Sexual Abuse in Medical Settings video.

Sources:

Do Chaperones Really Protect Patients?

Male OB/Gyns in the News

Time and Tide

A routine heart exam. An unexpected problem.

Gentlemen Don’t Look Up Ladies’ Skirts

Women and Doctors By Dr. John Smith

History of Modern Gynecology