Unauthorized Pelvic Exams are Sexual Assault

Hendricks, Perry; Seybold, Samantha L.

doi:10.1080/20502877.2022.2102132

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…5 These include pelvic or prostate examinations that are sometimes performed by healthcare providers for teaching purposes on persons who are sedated or under anaesthesia. [6][7][8][9][10][11][12] In regard to such cases, which rely on the presumption that patients' bodies may be used as teaching tools, several justifications have been offered. These include the perceived low risk of undergoing such an examination, the assumed lack of sexual connotation or intent on the part of the provider, and the intended benefits of the practice (ie, to medical students learning how to perform such examinations correctly, and thus, indirectly, to their future patients).…”

Section: Medical Necessity and Consent For Intimate Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Medical necessity and consent for intimate procedures

Earp,

Bruce

2023

J Med Ethics

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Section: Medical Necessity and Consent For Intimate Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Medical necessity and consent for intimate procedures

Earp,

Bruce

2023

J Med Ethics

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“…En el norte global se realizan exámenes pélvicos sin . Posición obligatoria: experiencias de violencia en la consulta ginecológica en Chile 4 Estudios de Género, 10, e1076 e-ISSN 2395-9185 autorización, aprovechando la sedación de las mujeres que se someten a alguna intervención quirúrgica, lo cual se ha calificado como abuso sexual (Hendricks y Seybold, 2022). En todos los casos mencionados se utilizaron sus cuerpos como material pedagógico para la formación médica (Davis, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

Posición obligatoria: Experiencias de violencia en la consulta ginecológica en Chile

Salinero Rates

2024

Rev. interdiscip. estud. género col. Méx.

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El objetivo de este estudio es analizar las percepciones de las mujeres que han vivido violencia ginecológica acerca de cómo son vistas por las y los profesionales de la salud en Chile. Realicé grupos de discusión en algunas de las principales ciudades del país. Los resultados dan cuenta de que comparten la sensación de encontrarse expuestas y vulnerables, constreñidas y cuestionadas en sus decisiones acerca de su salud y sexualidad. Por medio de un análisis temático planteo que existe un tema central que recorre el conjunto de relatos: la “posición obligatoria”. Esta posición posibilitaría el ejercicio de la violencia ginecológica y se manifestaría tanto en la posición física en la camilla como en la posición de subordinación de las mujeres y lo femenino en nuestra sociedad.

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From Intimate Exams to Ritual Nicking: Interpreting Nonconsensual Medicalized Genital Procedures as Sexual Boundary Violations

Buckler,

Bruce,

Earp

2023

Curr Sex Health Rep

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Purpose of Review This review seeks to integrate scholarly discussions of nonconsensual medicalized genital procedures, combining insights from the literature on obstetric violence with critiques based on children’s rights. In both literatures, it is increasingly argued that such interventions may constitute, or be experienced as, violations of patients’ sexual boundaries, even if performed without sexual intent. Recent Findings Within the literature on obstetric violence, it is often argued that clinicians who perform unconsented pelvic exams (i.e., for teaching purposes on anesthetized patients), or unconsented episiotomies during birth and labor, thereby violate patients’ bodily integrity rights. Noting the intimate nature of the body parts involved and the lack of consent by the affected individual, authors increasingly characterize such procedures, more specifically, as sexual boundary violations or even “medical sexual assault.” Separately, critics have raised analogous concerns about medically unnecessary, nonconsensual genital cutting or surgery (e.g., in prepubescent minors), such as ritual “nicking” of the vulva for religious purposes, intersex genital “normalization” surgeries, and newborn penile circumcision. Across literatures, critics contend that the fundamental wrong of such procedures is not (only) the risk of physical or emotional harm they may cause, nor (beliefs about) the good or bad intentions of those performing or requesting them. Rather, it is claimed, it is wrong as a matter of principle for clinicians to engage—to any extent—with patients’ genital or sexual anatomy without their consent outside of certain limited exceptions (e.g., is not possible to obtain the person’s consent without exposing them to a significant risk of serious harm, where this harm, in turn, cannot feasibly be prevented or resolved by any less risky or invasive means). Summary An emerging consensus among scholars of obstetric violence and of children’s rights is that it is unethical for clinicians to perform any medically unnecessary genital procedures, from physical examination to cutting or surgery, without the explicit consent of the affected person. “Presumed” consent, “implied” consent, and “proxy” consent are thus argued to be insufficient.

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Unauthorized Pelvic Exams are Sexual Assault

Cited by 5 publications

References 11 publications

Medical necessity and consent for intimate procedures

Medical necessity and consent for intimate procedures

Posición obligatoria: Experiencias de violencia en la consulta ginecológica en Chile

From Intimate Exams to Ritual Nicking: Interpreting Nonconsensual Medicalized Genital Procedures as Sexual Boundary Violations

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