HCPs also objectify female bodies

HCPs, just like teachers or lawyers or whoever can be very good at their jobs but some are capable of unprofessional conduct and are shit at their jobs. To deny this happens is downright ignorant.

*should say have been suffering for over two years

Rootin are you actually trying to suggest I am lying???

This happened to me. I have been suffering with horrible flashbacks and depression due to the PTSD I have as a direct result of being assaulted by medical staff.

Just to add, I am a HCP in a role where I don't have to make any physical contact with clients. Even so, we are scrutinised about how much we involve clients in making decisions about their own care, taking clients points of view and opinions into account and allow them to have their say and ask questions. Making decisions without getting consent from your client is not acceptable, and putting your hands on someone without their consent is absolutely not on.

Disgraceful and disgusting attitudes among supposed 'caring' professionals. And I agree with other posters who said that most people dont' want to talk about this - you're supposed to be grateful that you have had a baby and not allowed to question anything else that happened.

I posted on here a couple of years ago about 2 HCPs when I was pregnant who made me feel like a piece of meat.

I basically got called a troll, told to call the daily mail and all sorts.

That seriously fucked me up, I felt terrible. One of the people I think it was just absent mindedness (grabbed my downstairs during a physio thing to "show" me where to tense) and another person who made me feel horrid (stuck his hand up my top and under my bra to remove ECG stickies after I had told him I would do it myself as he had already made me feel uncomfortable.

The problem is, I think most people assume all HCPs are trying to help all the time and we should all just be gratefull (even though that is not how they are trained to act) sometimes it's just not like that. Yes, my first example was probably just a not thinking thing but I still don't want to go back to a pregnancy physio because of it.

Exams without consent and unconscious is just fucking vile, I hope that doesn't happen here.

Rootin I don't think anyone is slagging off the NHS but rather reliving their horrific experiences at the hands of some HCPs they thought they could trust when they were at their most vulnerable. No-one should ever be violated in such ways.

Rootin - you obviously have some reason why you choose to disbelieve the victims of abuse. Your posts are not helpful and it is attitudes like yours that allow these things to go on unchallenged.

In what universe can anyone equate receiving necessary medical treatment with being treated like a piece of meat??

Am so shocked by these horrific stories. I am so sorry for all of you who have been assaulted in this way. In my mind there is no question, this is sexual assault and totally unjustifiable.

Rootin, please stop trying to silence women and prevent them from telling their stories. They are allowed to have feelings about these experiences even if you don't agree with them.

Gosh this thread has made me so sad and angry. Black Swan, thanks for posting the thread though - it is so important that people are informed about this. I had no idea it went on.

Riots - how unspeakably awful what you went through and fishybits. I just cannot believe this kind of thing happens. It's utterly disgusting.

Did you read my experience rootin? Do you think that it is acceptable that a doctor did not even acknowledge me, let alone explain what he wanted to do or ask for permission before forcibly invading my body for no genuine medical reason and ignoring me begging him to stop?

Do you think that it is ok that after this he asked his student if she 'wanted a go' on me, as if I was a medical dummy and that a whole room of people who were supposed to be taking care of me stood by and watched as I was violated and in agony?

Of course I am glad that there are trained medical staff available to women in the UK and that maternal/infant deaths are much less common now than they used to be, but that does not mean that I have to accept being treated like a worthless piece of meat and live the rest of my life suffering from PTSD in order to deserve to benefit from antenatal/delivery/postnatal care.

Should I be grateful that there were medical staff there to assault, abuse and dehumanise me Rootin?

Feminists slagging the NHS. The very definition of irony.

The word "assault" hadn't entered my head.

I've had 5 GAs and this is the only one where I seemed to have lost temporary control of my bladder. I asked if a catheter has been fitted and was told no.

An innocent explanation would be lovely.

Really shocking and terrifying stories :(

Am so sorry this happened to you, I'm sorry we live in a world where this is accepted or minimised.

I work in theatres often and also feel there could be an innocent explanation fishy - common to take a few hours to recover bladder control following abdominal surgery and they wouldn't send you to recovery with knickers covered in iodine and blood. Assume that is what Lyndie meant too - not that what your friend suggested would not represent assault.

Fishy I doubt you were sexually assaulted, and the anaesthetic and analgesia is probably the reason you couldn't control your bladder.

UK medical students must seek written permission from the patient to do an examination under anaesthetic. It has been so for a long time.

Medical practitioners examining someone without consent is battery and should be reported as such. A subtle difference is in an obstetric emergency but permission must be sought.

I'm beginning to think there should be escorts at all times when women come into contact with HCP's. Some of these stories are horrifying.

Yes Swan birth rape is the perfect term for it.