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Abused and sterilized by her doctor
. . .”As in hundreds of cases the AJC identified nationwide, it points to the powerful trust that comes with being a physician, how that can be wielded to take advantage of the vulnerable and the harm it can cause. Brumett was among the most defenseless — a woman with deep-seated psychological problems and limited education — and she suffered damage beyond repair. . . ““I practiced law for 40 years, and I never encountered a client who was so obviously devastated,” said Morris Klapper, an Indianapolis attorney who represented Brumett in lawsuits that allowed her to collect $700,000 from Indiana’s Patient Compensation Fund. . . “‘I was humiliated and…
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The “madness” of unnecessary hysterectomy has to stop
. . .”As part of my research post-op, I learned much more about the hysterectomy industry than I ever cared to know. Approximately 10% of hysterectomies are done for a cancer diagnosis making most of the remaining 90% unnecessary. Despite the low lifetime risk of all gynecologic cancers (uterine/endometrial being highest at 2.9%), a U.S. woman’s lifetime risk of hysterectomy is 45%. Hysterectomy is commonly recommended for any and all menstrual irregularities and even benign ovarian cysts or masses. In other specialties, the diseased tissue is removed, not the entire organ. . .” READ MORE of this article by Judith Garber Medical Disclaimer: The information on this blog is for educational…
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More States are requiring patients to give consent for med students performing pelvic exams
“There can be an intense disconnect between patient understanding and provider understanding on consent and procedures, said Phoebe Friesen, a bioethicist at McGill University in Montreal whose research helped bring the practice back into focus following the #MeToo movement. “Providers view these unconscious exams as strictly medical or educational; the vagina and other intimate areas are “just another body part,” so specific informed consent isn’t necessary. “But for patients, Friesen believes it’s absolutely necessary. Such exams can leave a patient feeling robbed of their bodily autonomy, or even retraumatize people who have survived sexual assault. “The solution is so simple,” Friesen said. “Just ask people whether they’re comfortable with this…
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Sexism kills: Medical Misogyny and Ignorance of the Female Bodies
“And Victorian doctors like Isaac Baker-Brown often performed non-consensual clitoridectomies on women, which involved removing the clitoris to prevent masturbation and make “intractable women” into “happy wives.” This barbaric practice continued in the West up until the mid-20thcentury: in 1944, a Michigan girl—only 12 years old—went to her doctor to be treated for hysteria. In the exam room, “an attendant clamped an ether-soaked rag over her mouth from behind. When she woke up, her clitoris was gone. ‘They tried to keep me from masturbating,’ she said.” . . . READ MORE of this article by Anastasia Lacina: Medical Disclaimer: The information on this blog is for educational purposes only. It is…
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Repeat offenders often target vulnerable patients
“By sheer numbers of victims, some physicians are among the nation’s worst sex offenders, experts say. The most notorious doctors victimized 1,000 or more patients. . . “Patients may be at their most vulnerable during intimate medical examinations, when their genitals are exposed. “Dr. Peter LaFuria, a gynecologist in Louisiana, took thousands of explicit photographs of his patients without their permission. He was indicted on 269 felony counts, including sexual battery and sexual molestation of a juvenile. In a plea deal he admitted to 20 counts, and in 2014 he was sentenced to 23 years in prison, with 15 suspended. . . READ MORE of this article by The Atlanta…
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Condemnation without action
“CHICAGO — The nation’s largest medical society says it has zero tolerance for doctors who sexually abuse patients. But in the American Medical Association’s calculus, zero doesn’t always equal zero. “The association does not favor the automatic revocation of the medical license of every doctor who commits sexual abuse of a patient. It does not expel every offender from its membership rolls. It has never independently researched the prevalence of sexual abuse in clinical settings. Twenty-six years ago it declared sexual misconduct a breach of medical ethics, but since then it has remained all but mute on the issue. “It has, however, fought to keep confidential a federal database of physicians disciplined for sexual…
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Repeat offender still licensed to treat Georgia patients
“In three different settings, Almon faced allegations that he sexually violated extremely vulnerable female patients — a suicidal soldier, jail inmates, a mentally ill woman and a child of 14 — and every time was effectively given a pass. . . “At Fort Gordon outside Augusta, where Almon was a psychiatric resident and held the rank of major, he admitted that he had sex with a hospitalized patient. The patient, a private, was found immediately afterward on the floor of her hospital room, curled up and crying. . . READ MORE of this article by Danny Robbins: https://doctors.ajc.com/georgia_doctor_sex_abuse/?ecmp=doctorssexabuse_microsite_stories Medical Disclaimer: The information on this blog is for educational purposes only. It…
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Which doctors are sexually abusive
“Also caught were the president-elect of a national medical society, who resigned before he could take office; and the then-CEO of a New York hospital, found to have violated several patients, including a 15-year-old he saw in the emergency room after she attempted suicide. He told the AJC the allegations were false. But regulators found he exposed and touched the girl’s breasts for no legitimate medical purpose after telling her, “It’s time to go under the cover.” . . . “‘You see the butt on her? The ass on her?’’’ Black recalled Bair saying, a sheriff’s transcript states. “Other co-workers and patients would later tell authorities numerous stories of Bair’s…
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License to Betray
“A broken system forgives sexually abusive doctors in every state, investigation finds . . . “In Kentucky, Dr. Ashok Alur was examining an infection on a patient’s abdomen when he entered forbidden territory. He told the patient she had sexy underwear. Then, he rubbed her and placed his mouth on her genitals. The patient pushed him away and went to police. “It was so beautiful,” the doctor told her later, when she confronted him. “I couldn’t resist.” . . . READ MORE of this article by Carrie Teegardin, Danny Robbins, Jeff Ernsthaisen, and Ariel Hart: https://doctors.ajc.com/doctors_sex_abuse/?ecmp=doctorssexabuse_microsite_nav Medical Disclaimer: The information on this blog is for educational purposes only. It is not…
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Hurt That Doesn’t Heal
“Doctors are supposed to touch during an exam, but not fondle. Psychiatrists should listen to a patient’s darkest secrets, but never parlay the intimacy into a kiss. Anesthesiologists put patients under for surgery, but shouldn’t have their way with them. . . READ MORE of this article by By Ariel Hart and Carrie Teegardin: https://doctors.ajc.com/part_5_hurt_that_doesnt_heal/ Medical Disclaimer: The information on this blog is for educational purposes only. It is not intended in any manner as professional medical advice. I am not a medical doctor. The reader should consult a healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information on this blog for their own situation, or if they have questions or issues regarding a…
