Female
Patient Modesty
It is generally easier for female
patients to request female nurses for intimate procedures, such
as urinary catheterization, because female nurses greatly outnumber
male nurses. Many hospitals also have few or no male nurses
in their Labor and Delivery units, which can make female patients
more confident that they will receive care from female nurses
throughout childbirth.
However, many hospitals, particularly
in rural areas, cannot guarantee that a woman who prefers a
female obstetrician-gynecologist (OB/GYN) will have one available
to deliver her baby. Some hospitals have more male OB/GYNs than
female OB/GYNs, while others simply do not have enough female
physicians to accommodate every patient's preference. For example,
one hospital has two male OB/GYNs and two female OB/GYNs, creating
a potential problem because all four doctors share on-call responsibilities.
Some female gynecologists may
not fully understand how important modesty is to many women
and their husbands. For example, one female OB/GYN invited medical
students to observe a cesarean section despite the patient's
written request that no medical students be present. The
birth of a child is supposed to be a joyous occasion for both
the woman and her husband. Yet modesty concerns can
be overlooked during childbirth. Some people may assume that
women are too preoccupied with the pain of labor and delivery
to care about modesty, but that assumption is not necessarily
true. A woman can be focused on delivering her baby while still
wanting her privacy and modesty to be respected.
In another case, a woman and her
husband requested an entirely female surgical team for her hysterectomy.
Although all the medical professionals were female except for
one male surgical scrub, the woman saw him as she was being
sedated. This illustrates an important point: having
a female gynecologist perform your surgery does not guarantee
that every member of the surgical team will be female.
If having an all-female team is important to you, communicate
your wishes clearly in advance and ask the hospital to identify
everyone who will be present during your procedure. Confirm
that the hospital can guarantee an entirely female team before
proceeding with the surgery. If the hospital cannot
provide that guarantee, consider choosing another facility that
can accommodate your request.
For more information, see OB/GYN
Tips and the other related articles below.
Modesty concerns can also arise
during electrocardiograms (ECGs) and other cardiac procedures,
some of which may require exposing a woman's breasts. This can
be a particularly sensitive issue for women who wish to maintain
their modesty during medical examinations. Men may also experience
embarrassment when asked to expose their chests, although this
concern may be less common among men who are comfortable being
topless. Some men, including those with gynecomastia (enlarged
breast tissue), may feel particularly self-conscious about exposing
their chests. Healthcare professionals should be mindful of
these concerns and make reasonable efforts to preserve every
patient's privacy and dignity.
Related Articles About Female Patient
Modesty:
How
is Female Urinary Catheterizations Done?
Are
Pap Smears Necessary For Virgins?
Truth
About Pap Smears
Truth
About Pelvic Exams
History
of Modern Gynecology
Concerns
About Modesty During Hysterectomy
Why
Are Hysterectomies Often Unnecessary?
Why HPV Vaccine Should
Be Avoided?
What
You Should Know About All-Female OB/Gyn Practices?
Why
Women Should Avoid Male Doctors For Intimate Examinations?
ACOG's
Recommendation for Chaperones in Preventing Sexual Abuse By
Doctors Is Useless
Have
You Been Referred to a Gynecologic Oncologist?
How
Female Gynecologists Can Be More Sensitive to Women's Modesty?
Modesty
and Your Physician
Underwear
Removal For Surgeries
Surgery
and Your Modesty
Find
a Female Surgeon
Find
an All-Female OB/GYN Practice
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