Non-Consensual
Pelvic and Genital Exams
Many people are unaware that sometimes
medical students and doctors do pelvic and genital exams on
unconscious patients without their consent especially in some
teaching hospitals. There was even a case of a female ENT doctor
who did genital exams on male patients under anesthesia without
their knowledge. This is a big invasion of patient's privacy
and it is a form of medical rape. It is hard to believe that
this happens. Fortunately, a few medical students have refused
to do the pelvic exams on women without their consent because
they understand it's unethical.
Medical students should only do
pelvic exams on women who have given consent or mannequins.
The truth is many doctors such as podiatrists, neurologists,
and cardiologists won't be doing any pelvic exams on women later
on anyway so there's no sense in why they should have to do
pelvic exams on real women in medical schools anyway. They could
do pelvic exams on mannequins
and medical training simulators. Patients under anesthesia
who have intimate procedures done on them without consent are
treated as lab rats and we need to fight to end this horrible
practice. It is unethical to do pelvic or genital exams
on patients under anesthesia without their consent.
Other problems with non-consensual pelvic exams are the possibilities
of injuries to the cervix at the hands of some of the clumsier
students and the risk of infection or the possibility of internal
injuries due to the slip of an instrument.
The scary thing is that women
who have had gynecological surgeries such as hysterectomy, ovarian
cyst removal, etc. especially at a teaching hospital in the
past may have had some pelvic exams done on them by medical
students, residents, or another doctor without their knowledge
and consent. A non-consensual pelvic or genital exam done on
patients under anesthesia is not treating them with respect
and dignity.
You need to be firm about your
wishes before you have surgery and have it in writing. Do research
on the hospital you are going to have your surgery at. Find
out if they have any medical students or residents who may participate
in your surgery. It would be best if you didn't have your surgery
at a VA hospital if possible. Sadly, many VA hospitals have
participated in ghost surgeries (letting a resident or someone
other than the doctor who is supposed to perform the surgery)
or non-consensual exams on patients without their consent.
You can find some links to articles
that discuss non-consensual exams below. We cannot guarantee
the accuracy of the information in each link. Always keep in
mind that sometimes the media exaggerates certain information.
Some Articles Regarding
Non-Consensual Exams & Procedures:
Not
Just Non-Consensual Pelvic Exams: The Need for Expressed Consent
for All Intimate Tasks for Elective Procedures
Pelvic
Exams without Consent: Medical Malpractice Suit?
Students
Perform Pelvic Exams Without Consent
Conversations
We Shouldn’t Still Be Having: Pelvic Exams Under Anesthesia
Using
tort law to secure patient dignity
A
Female ENT Doctor Was Accused of Doing Non-Consensual Genital
Exams on Male Patients Under Anesthesia
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