I think I might throw up.
I just saw this article linked on twitter.
Summary of the article: If you're under a general anaesthetic having some kind of pelvic procedure done, after the procedure, medical students will be permitted to do "practice" pelvic exams on your unconscious body. Without your consent.
My mind is reeling. I am nauseous. Do medical schools - doctors and nurses in the room - anybody involved in this - truly not see the horrible, disgusting privacy violation here? To be used as a practice dummy, without your consent? To have clumsy medical students insert speculums in your vagina and peer around like you're a bunny hill on a ski slope and they're the beginners? To be treated like an object, without even knowing about it?
Someone needs to tell me whether this is true or not. Because if it is? I am going to open a can of WHOOPASS on someone.
I had pelvic surgery 2 years ago under a general. The thought of having been used as an inert body and being paraded around in front of a pile of students without my consent is making me want to cry, to vomit, to hit things. This is a horrible violation, and it's being done by people we are supposed to trust implicitly - our doctors.
Someone, tell me this isn't true. Please.
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I know, I almost threw up when I read it in the paper today. I am so disturbed by it, and yet, I find myself without words...
I know I'm rambling now, but I keep asking myself what is the difference between this and being roofied and violated??
Imagine if they found something...how would they explain to the patient - "oh, while you were sleeping we did a pap smear and found that you have a cyst"??!! WTF??!!
There has to be something we can do to stop this.
The thought of this disgusts me. That pretty well sums up my feelings.
My mind still hasn't stopped reeling and I read the article hours ago. I simply cannot believe it.
I think you hit a nail on the head there. The *trust* is implicit, not the consent -- and that is a world of difference.
I feel the exact same way as you. Horrific. Just... horrific.
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I've had 2 (!) gyno surgeries in the past 8 years -- both at the same teaching hospital. The idea of someone groping around in my vagina while I was unconscious makes me feel sick and I won't be surprised if it keeps me up at night. I've enough "trust" issues with medical practitioners at the moment -- I really didn't need something like this to feed them...
I posted my own thoughts here: http://refashionista.wordpress.com/2010/01/29/consent-control/
It's plain disgusting and a total violation of our rights! I am so disturbed by this and it needs to be STOPPED!
Can I use you as an animate object?
Where did this supposedly happen and where are the lawsuits?
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