Gynecology Chaperons

Gynecological practice stands out as one of the most intimate professional interactions between patients and doctors. A typical consultation involves discussions about sexual organs.

Often, intimate questions arise about sexual activities, pregnancies, and contraception among others. Even more intimate is the Gynecological examination.There is therefore potential for abuse of such a professional relationship. This can be either from the Gynecologists themselves, or from patients. However medical law and ethics mandates a lot of safeguards to uphold professional interactions. There are several unwritten rules that also safeguard this relationship. Any breach of such professional conduct borders on criminality, and is severely punishable by law.

One such safeguard is the use of chaperons during intimate examinations. A chaperons is a professional health worker, usually a nurse or nursing assistant, who should be physically present during vaginal or breast examinations. The chaperon safeguards against inappropriate examination that may be interpreted as sexual rather than medical. This also provides a witness in cases where either party makes a claim of impropriety.

Good Gynecological practices must routinely offer chaperons for all examinations. If a chaperons is not offered, women should ask for one. Women also have the liberty to decline chaperons, and if they do, this must be documented.

An unusual case that involved an ex-model comes to mind. She was in her 40s, and her modelling career had recently ended. She however seemed to experience hangover withdrawal effects from her modelling days. Over the course of several months, she randomly consulted several young male Gynecologists in the city. In each case, she complained of problems that mandated vaginal and breast examinations.

Subsequently, she enjoined all the Gynecologists in a civil suit for professional misconduct, claiming a seven figure sum. “They all seemed to enjoy fondling my beautiful body in the confines of their examination cubicles” she said in the opening statements. There had been no chaperons to serve as witnesses, but there was reasonable doubt from the outset. Each of the Gynecologists had documented proof of her decline to have a chaperon. One had even declined to examine her alone.

Further details of the consultations revealed she was perfectly healthy, and had made up symptoms to justify Gynecological examinations. The defendants’ attorney was forthright, “I put it to you that you have an unnatural and gratifying craving for the examinations you deliberately planned and underwent” he said to her. The jury weighed up the evidence and dismissed her claims.

The judge was even harsher, “your actions suggest a misguided starvation for masculine attention from your cat-walk days”. He ordered her to pay the defendants’ costs, and to never visit a Gynecologist’s office without a court appointed escort for 5 years. He also had a parting shot to the Gynecologists, “you are off the hook this time, but your Gynecological days would be numbered if you ever came to this court and were found guilty of professional misadventures!”