I have to say one thing about doctors that really pisses me off is when they start touching you or moving you around with zero warning. Maybe other medical professionals too but I mostly see it with doctors. Especially when it comes to areas that are usually covered by underwear. When I was a teenager I fell badly on some ice and the doctor wanted to feel the base of my spine for injuries. Makes sense! But I got no heads up before he suddenly stuck his hand down the back of my pants to feel my tailbone. These days I see doctors move a patient's bra/shirt and stick their hand holding a stethoscope on their breast to listen to the lungs without saying a single thing to the patient beforehand. Even something like just picking up a person's leg and moving their pants to check edema when they're lying in bed with absolutely no preamble. I'm sorry but would you feel comfortable waltzing up to a coworker and casually sliding your hand under their clothes without so much as a howdy-do? No? Why is it different for your patients then? It's so dehumanizing and can feel so violating depending on your comfort level with relative strangers grabbing at your body with no warning!
I'm an occupational therapist and when I am working with a patient I am constantly hands on helping with positioning, giving tactile cues, etc. It takes zero effort to say "hey I'm going to have a hand on this belt to help steady your balance when you stand up" or "can I help adjust this line/pull your pants up over your hips/whatever" whenever you need to touch a different body part or in a new situation etc. Zero effort, friends. Takes barely any time. Dare I say a habitual response that would take more effort to suppress when communicating with the actual human beings who are my patients.
I do notice male doctors doing this more than female doctors and more often to female patients but it doesn't always follow exact gender delineations. I don't see male nurses or therapists doing that shit though. Of course this is all anecdotal and extremely limited from my own personal experience. But it's just so disheartening to keep seeing this and realizing how common it is. And I'm certain it is so so much worse for patients with longterm disabilities dealing with this kind of dehumanization on a much broader level. It's just so frustrating because it should be such a small thing to do but the way it's so often overlooked makes me queasy to think of the mental disconnect some doctors have from viewing/treating their patients like real human beings.

















