In 45 states, it is legal for doctors to perform pelvic exams on anesthetized patients without consent. This practice is most commonly done at teaching hospitals with the misinformed idea that performing pelvic exams on unconscious patients is a sufficient and appropriate way to learn how to perform them in the future. Women across the country are speaking up about their experiences, bringing awareness to the issue. I am asking the College community to help me take a stand against this atrocious, outdated medical practice.
Searching for background knowledge on non-consensual pelvic exams proves to be difficult, as it is an area in which many academics, journalists and even medical professionals are uninformed. While there is little recorded information on where and how frequently teaching hospitals are utilizing this practice, it is still a commonly used learning technique. A 2003 survey given to 400 medical students from five medical schools in Philadelphia revealed that 90 percent of the students had performed pelvic exams on anesthetized patients without being sure if the patient consented. Another survey done on junior and senior medical students at the University of Oklahoma revealed that the majority of students have participated in this practice. Of this group, nearly three quarters believed the patients had not consented.
Some attempt to justify the practice by claiming that it is necessary to teach medical students how to perform pelvic exams. Many medical professionals refute this notion, however, and claim this is not an accurate simulation of a real pelvic exam and therefore is a poor educational technique. Some medical students who have observed and participated in these non-consensual exams have spoken out, citing their discomfort with the perpetuation of the practice. Additionally, both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Medical Association’s Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs have spoken out and condemned it.
This is clearly an outdated practice with poor justification. It is time to demand change.
In terms of policy research, there is some information available in the states that have banned this educational practice. We know that a minor movement in the 1990s led a small number of state legislatures to make this practice illegal. Today, it is illegal in just five states: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Oregon and Virginia. The New York State Assembly is currently reviewing bills AO6325 and A4988, which would ban the practice of performing non-consensual pelvic exams on anesthetized patients and require consent for all procedures done for educational purposes. Backed by medical professionals, these bills serve as models for what Ohio should implement in the coming years.
If you are surprised to learn that this practice is still taking place, you are not alone. Many are unaware that this can happen at any time to any one, especially those most vulnerable among us. In the coming weeks, I will be asking the College’s community to join me in urging our representatives in calling for legislative change.
I hope that you join me.
Annabelle Hopkins, a Contributing Writer for the Voice, can be reached for comment at AHopkins19@wooster.edu.