A well-respected gynecologist in Michigan sexually abused women athletes in many areas of sports, including the US Olympic gymnastics team, for over 20 years, with no intervention. Reports have indicated the number of his abused sports patients numbered in the hundreds. Why didn’t the victims come forward? It appears the physician told them it was a usual exam, and when the women questioned anyone, fear and shame kept them quiet. This is not unusual.
Authorities finally brought the physician in question, Larry Nasser, to justice and sentenced him for multiple felony offenses against patients all over the state. This resulted in him receiving a sentence that could exceed 100 years in prison.
How could this have happened in a world where patients are supposed to trust their physicians, particularly their gynecologists? This medical specialty, as well as urology, gives the physician unfettered access to patients. Urology is where male sexual abuse occurs. How many men come forward with allegations of rape or sexual abuse by a physician?
The prestigious Columbia University paid out millions to abused patients and, curiously, the physician in question (Robert Hadden) had a prior charge of sexual abuse that was lowered and, according to The New York Times, the prosecutor “agreed to not seek prison time and promised not to pursue new sexual abuse allegations against him. His sex-offender status was reduced so that it would end after 20 years and his name would not be on an online list of offenders.” But his case is not the only one where a sexual abuser is permitted to remain free and practice medicine.
I was prompted to write this article today after seeing a media article about a female gynecologist who had been catfishing other women on an Internet dating platform where she presented herself as a man. The physician is still working at a reputable medical center, where management has decided the issue is irrelevant since she stopped doing it and was only engaged in that activity about a decade ago. A sociologist later discovered the charade and transformed it into a bestseller.
The Actions of Medical Boards
Medical boards are expected not only to uphold the standards of care but also to provide a layer of protection for both patients and practitioners. However, too often this is not the case, and I have been told by several physicians that certain state medical boards are less than vigorous in these regards. Patients soon learn that they will be given short shrift when expressing concerns about a physician’s behavior toward them.
Even though there is an explicit ban on doctors having sexual interactions with their patients, some physicians nevertheless abuse their patients sexually. No one knows how many doctors in the United States have sexually abused their patients. Only a small percentage of doctors have had “reportable” repercussions due to their unethical practices, according to data from the National Practitioner Data Bank on unfavorable disciplinary actions by state medical boards, institutional sanctions for peer review, and malpractice payouts.
A lack of clarification of licensure, prior employment, and potential actions brought to bear against physicians by institutions, such as hospitals and medical centers, is required. However, that may not be the case in every instance. Such a failure to adequately assess someone’s prior employment, obviously led to the infamous Dr. Michael Swango going from state to state where he killed patients. One dean became suspicious and started calling other facilities, which led to the complete uncovering of his activities and his apprehension. He may have killed 60 patients.
The issue is of particular personal concern to me since a relative, after a period of almost 40 years, told us that she had been sexually assaulted by our family physician when she was 16. She was afraid to tell anyone, at that time, because she thought she would not be believed. Ironically, this was the same man who delivered one of my sisters’ children, and we had implicit faith in him. Of course, that would have added to this relative’s reluctance to reveal anything.
Subsequently, the physician met with a horrific end. Men broke into his medical office, seeking drugs, and beat him so that he lost his vision, and a few years later, he died. We know from research, specifically on pedophiles, that persons with strong ties to families are the ones who are most likely to offend against that family.
For treatment of a spider bite behind her knee, a woman visited a family friend, Dr. Esmail Nadjmabadi. Under the guise of a colon cancer test, he sexually assaulted her in his exam room.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Nadjmabadi is included in a group of ten California doctors who regained their licenses after being suspended for sexual misconduct.
An analysis of board data conducted by the Times revealed that out of all doctors whose licenses were revoked for any other reason, the state Medical Board reinstated the licenses of almost 50% of sex offenders who applied for them.
How many investigators do medical boards employ, or do they employ any at all? We have a duty to protect healthcare professionals and patients from harm, including sexual harm. In the case of college-based medical care, we also see instances of sexual abuse by these professionals, and the schools are usually reluctant to have student victims take the case off campus to the local police.
University Clinics’ Involvement
In my wish to be fully informed, I once asked, a man who was responsible for student campus safety what he did when a woman student complained of unwanted sexual behavior by other students. “We move the man to another housing unit on campus,” he said, believing that solved the issue altogether. The police were never involved.
The case of Tatiana Tarasoff highlights the reluctance to involve law enforcement on campus. A student in therapy with a university-employed psychologist related his homicidal fantasies regarding Ms. Tarasoff. The psychologist and his mentor decided that only the campus police needed to know and the matter was not addressed with local authorities. Subsequently, upon returning to campus from a brief vacation, the woman was murdered, and the student pleaded mental impairment and left the country.
At one time, I had the opportunity to teach during the summer at a major university, and staff brought the issue of on-campus rape to my attention. I do not know if the parents who were bringing their daughters for campus tours were ever told about this, but it would seem they should have been informed.
The only notice that there was a problem was a flyer posted in some buildings stating that young women could request escorts back to their dormitories in the evening. While there, I recall that a young woman riding a bike on campus went missing.
I have to wonder if there were any complaints of untoward sexual behavior in the medical clinic on the grounds. Of course, I have nothing to base this on. I am merely asking the question.
Mental Health Professionals Abuse, Too
Medical professionals not only engage in sexual abuse of patients in physical exam situations but also mental health situations. A peer once told me about a psychiatrist who required women to strip to the waist for breast examinations during family therapy evaluations.
Anyone who knows anything about mental health knows that the mammaries are not involved in these kinds of evaluations. The resolution? After this staff found out about his actions, management permitted him to take a vacation and transfer to a clinic in another state where he probably practices. Did anyone check up on his prior employment?
A distressed student once told me that her boyfriend confided in her that his female psychologist was having sexual intercourse with him at every session. This act was unethical, and someone should have brought charges against her. His mother, a psychologist, referred him to this woman, obviously not knowing of her disregard for patients in service of her own pleasures.
In another instance, I learned years ago about a psychologist who was taking young male patients home from a psychiatric hospital for the weekend. Allegedly, this was a treat for their good behavior during the week, but his wife did not see it that way. The chief of psychology at the hospital dismissed her as a deranged woman with mental health problems when she complained. The woman had no history of mental health issues.
As far as I know, nobody investigated this alleged activity, and the chief sided with the psychologist against these allegations. Eventually, the psychologist left the hospital, and I found out he was having an affair with a priest. He and his wife did divorce.
How Can Patients Be Protected?
By implementing simple guidelines, the institutions we trust with our lives and health may not put an end to the trend of allowing patients to be sexually abused, but it can somewhat stifle criminal acts. Specifically, healthcare offices and systems should require one or two healthcare providers in the room during sensitive assessments.
All medical personnel must be obliged to complete extensive training programs regarding proper boundaries and patient rights before engaging in delicate examinations. They must also educate patients about proper boundaries and procedures before conducting sensitive exams.
All employment applications need to receive adequate verification and letters of recommendation from reliable sources. A person’s high profile cannot be viewed as a reason to dismiss this careful review.
Institutions that receive reports of abuse must act quickly to stop the abuse and investigate to determine exactly what happened. Creating strong reporting and discipline procedures might also motivate coworkers to report any wrongdoing. Patients should also report allegations of sexual abuse by medical personnel to the police.
Situations of a one up, one down, as in the case of medical care, are highly attractive for individuals with nefarious intentions. They must be thwarted and routed out before they can do any more damage to patients. Each of us should care for our “neighbors.” If we care for each other, then we provide the necessary protection against those who would care less.
