A study conducted in Britain reveals that sexual harassment of surgeons is an open secret.
An extensive survey of British surgeons reveals that sexual harassment, even in operating theatres, is surprisingly common.
British broadcasting company BBC has acquired a study carried out within the country’s healthcare system, the NHS.
1,434 surgeons answered the survey, half of them women. The results of the survey were amazing.
63 percent of women said that they had experienced sexual harassment from their colleagues in the last five years. Almost a third said they had been sexually harassed. 11 percent said they had been forced into physical intercourse as a condition for career advancement.
The investigation also revealed 11 rapes.
Almost all of the interviewees had been in situations where some degree of sexual abuse took place.
A quarter of the male respondents said they had been sexually harassed.
The more experienced harass the younger ones
According to the study, the most common harassment situations are those where a senior male colleague trains an inexperienced female doctor. Only 28 percent of surgeons are women.
According to the researchers, the hospital as a work community is very hierarchical and the work is stressful. These factors may incite harassment.
– The result of these factors is that people can behave as they please without being punished, and things are not investigated much, says a surgeon from the University of Surrey who participated in the research Carrie Newlands.
The researchers were especially surprised by the silence of colleagues who witnessed sexual harassment.
Stories of harassment
Interviewed by the BBC “Judith”– surgeon, who tells about a case when he was an intern and the lowest in the operating room’s ranking scale. The operation was conducted by an experienced surgeon who sweated during the procedure.
– [Hän] just turned and rested his head on my chest. I said that he was drying his forehead on me, “Judith” said.
The surgeon did the same thing again. “Judith” tried to hand him a towel, but the man only stated that “it’s more fun this way”.
Another interviewee, “Anne”says that he had to engage in non-consensual sex in connection with a medical meeting.
According to the interviewees, the prevalence of sexual harassment has been known for a long time. With the study published now, the Royal College of Surgeons of England plans to intervene.