Pelvic examinations under anesthesia by medical students without consent

Uncommon card · No. 187759

Pelvic exams under anesthesia by medical students without explicit consent are routinely performed to teach medical students how to conduct pelvic exams. They are typically done during gynecological surgeries, but not exclusively. In 2024, the United States federal Department of Health and Human Services issued guidance to teaching hospitals and medical schools requiring written consent before performing breast, pelvic, prostate, and rectal exams for "educational and training purposes.” Hospitals that do not obtain explicit consent may be ineligible to participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs and may be subject to fines and investigations for violating patient privacy laws. First-year medical students find such examinations more morally problematic than those who have completed clinical clerkships in obstetrics and gynaecology, an example of a phenomenon known as ethical erosion.

Read on Wikipedia · Image Unknown photographer/artist, Public domain