I was abused by my GP - wish I'd reported it

[pinkbluepink]

The Jimmy Savile abuse cases have led me to re-think something that happened when I was a teenager.

I was 'abused' by my GP when I was 17 on a visit to the surgery to enquire about going on the pill. My GP asked me to undress and get on the couch so he could 'examine me' before he could recommend going on the pill. At the time I thought it odd, but then having not been in that situation before I obligingly removed my lower items of clothing and hopped onto the couch. The GP then proceeded to give me an 'internal' before returning to his desk and writing a prescription.

It was only much later when discussing going on the pill with friends that I realised what he had done to me was wrong, and even then I was too embarrassed to do anything about it.

In hindsight I wish I had reported him - how many other teenagers did he do this to?

The GP is question is probably dead now, but as a mother of teenage girls it makes me furious that someone in his position felt he was able to do this.

Not sure why I'm posting this now - just wanted to get it off my chest really. Thanks for reading.

Heard of, bloody kindle us illiterate.

Flash, calm down please. You have completely misunderstood me. I was only speaking for myself - I am not speaking for everyone on this thread or the universe in general. People on this thread are entitled to do as they see fit. They can report their incidents or not report, seek counselling, not seek counselling. I am not telling others what to do! My incident happened 30 years ago. The specialist is long dead. I am quite happy to leave my incident in the past - is that o.k. with you ????

this issue has come up a few times- in fact I do think these exams were quite normal in those days- I recall reading a book about them when I was 11/12 so about 30 years ago?

That said, its not black and whitge and some WEIRD SHIT used to go down- but I did want to share that maybe it was just normal

I think they are so much more sensitive theses days- thankfully

When I was 18 and a student. I went to GP with tonsillitis - he gave me an internal and also, as was on my period, removed my tampon. Was pretty mortified about this but never said anything to GP or anyone else. He then gave me anti-depressants (though he didn't tell me that's what they were). As it was end of term I went straight to my usual GP back in home town who took the tablets off me and was v surprised that I had been given them. I have for 35 years thought about all of this and wish I had realised at the time how abnormal this all was. Can I still do something about this?

In the early 80's, aged 14, I was in hospitable for anorexia. There was one doctor who was very popular with the nurses and the student nurses were very flirty with him. One day he came into my room (where I was placed under observation), closed the curtains and told me to take off my top, so he could examine me. He then pressed down on my nipples and sat me on his lap. I was very confused.
As he was leaving he winked at me.
It was upsetting at the time, particularly because i had been abused aged 13 and totally messed me up for years.

I had the cough test thing too, it was around 1985 when i was 5/6 years old very similar to the previous poster who mentioned it, after being weighed and height measured all the girls were lined up in their knickers and vest and doctor went along putting hands down front of knickers asking us to cough. No gloves or hand washing either. Teacher and nurse present.

I've mentioned it a few times to other people and because I've never heard anyone else say it's happened to them I actually thought I was remembering the whole thing wrong.

To the person who had this happen to them, was your school in a little village with the initials T V ? I'm just wondering if we were in the same school as each other.

Almost the exact thing happened to me when I was 15 and going on the pill.

The GP told me to completely undress and get on the couch. He then felt my breasts and did an internal exam. This was in 1979, and I it has only just dawned on me that this was abuse.

The GP is dead now. I wonder how many more girls he abused.

Another one here who went through a full medical for teacher training, in the 1980s which involved stripping to pants and then a breast exam, followed by various other apparently meaningless proddings and pokings.

This thread has been very enlightening. I am so glad that patients now do not have to submit to such demeaning and patronising treatment, in which standing around naked in a draughty village hall was seen as reasonable treatment in order to secure a job.

My mum took me to the family GP when I was 9 because I kept getting car sick. He took me behind the curtain, told me to take my knickers off and lie down. Then he abused me. My mum didn't think to question it, I was too horrified and confused. I've never told anyone and I've NC'd for this post.

He's dead now but I just know I wasn't the only one.

I met my now Dh in 1986. i went to the family planning clinic to enquire about the pill and to get some free condoms. They said i would need a smear test, had never had one before and i was still a virgin! A male doctor did the proceedure, it really hurt. Also a breast exam. Iwas a very young 20 year old and went along with it all, as i thought this was all correct. Thinking about it now - and much more cynical about life- im sure this was wrong. Reading this thread has made me think. I am also embarrassed that i have only ever slept with one person, odd these days. I was very sheltered growing up!

www.gmc-uk.org/concerns/doctors_under_investigation.asp

General Medical Council
www.gmc-uk.org/about/contactus
Regent’s Place, 350 Euston Road, London NW1 3JN.
Open 08:30 to 16:30 from Monday to Friday.

You can report a GP for Historical abuse -
NHS currently do NOT offer 'smear test' for women under 25

GP 'intimate' examination of your daughter violates her Human
Rights and constitutes "Gross Professional Misconduct"

Report to Police & GMC

The hernia test 'cough & drop' for Boys to check the intestine has not dropped into the scrotum in the event of un-descended testicle after Birth?
I had this age 12 in 1980. Inner London Education Authority (ilea) Camden

If this test was conducted in a state school? The Local Authority can be
investigated by Police & Local council may be Prosectued under Historical
Institutional Sex Abuse! Contact "Operation Yewtree" Metropolitan Police

I'm feeling lucky with my experiences. I went on the pill at 18 at uni, and I did have an internal exam (no smear though), but the GP explained what she was doing and why. I also had weight and BP done and we had a quick chat about barrier contraception (It was 1990, and condoms were everywhere because of HIV.) It all felt consensual and informative and positive.

I had an exam with a male GP some years later - he was the one who called in a nurse as a chaperone; I wasn't bothered if he hadn't bothered, but I appreciated that they did it as a matter of course.

The worst medical experience I had was at a breast clinic, with the consultant (female) joking about how small my breasts were, just before she did a needle biopsy. I'm pretty sure it was misplaced humour, trying to lighten the mood, but particularly in those circumstances, it was very misplaced.

1986 - internal here too

The breast exam was another thing entirely, he seemed to make a meal of it

have to say that this thread brought to mind school medicals back in the 80s. Thankfully I never had anything like described here when I went on the pill but I do remember the school doctor coming in when I was about 15. I thought it was wrong at the time and so did many of the others but no one ever said anything as far as I'm aware. He was a late 50s man and when I went in for my medical after asking me the usual questions he asked me to go behind the screen and undress. I flat out refused which he seemed rather set back by. He talked me into undressing as far as my bra and knickers and I spent the next 5-10minutes standing with my legs and arms apart as he just seemed to touch me. Never been examined by a doctor like that since. He insisted I removed my bra at the end so that he could do a breast check which was one of the most uncomfortable, creepy and embarrassing moments of my life! Thankfully I could keep my underware on. A friend said that she did undress fully as instructed and as she had told him she was sexually active she was given a brief internal, she was told it was an STD exam.

Looking back there can't of been any real medical reason for much of this from a school doctor. Nowadays I would imagine the doctor would be chased out the school asking a 15yr old girl to take all her clothes off!

I had the "hands down the pants & cough" test too at the age of 5 or 6. Still don't know why.

I too was given an internal examination to be put on the contraceptive pill. It was in the 80's and I was a 16year old virgin, I was getting serious with a boyfriend ( who I subsequently married).
It bothered me for many years, as I felt awful afterwards and he hurt me. I recently requested my gp notes, but all it says on my record is that I had a cervical smear (negative) and a cervical neoplasmia screen (no results) as for the doctor it just says 'unknown member of staff' I do remember he was a locam doctor. I don't understand the tests as I do not remember him informing me he was taking samples, he just said he needed to examin me. I left with my presription and walked my bike home in floods of tears. It was another 2years before I had intercourse with my future husband.
I never questioned what he was doing, I was 16 and naive. It was many many years later when I told a friend that she informed me that she didn't believe he should've needed to do it .

Civvie Were you in Norfolk Cons?

I think even if such examinations were fairly standard at the time we should listen to ourselves where we know there was something not right about the way or manner in which it was done.

When I was being induced with my 4th dc a couple of years ago the female doctor who inserted my pessary made a critical comment about how thin I was and then was very rough with her insertion. It felt all wrong and very violating although clearly she was doing nothing overtly wrong or anything I could really complain about. I knew she was using her power over me:-(.

This thread is 4 years old.

I always thought this was common back then. I remember friends telling me you had to have an internal when going on the pill. I never had to have one though .

I do remember having an unpleasant experience about twenty years ago with an older locus gp who I went to about trying a different pill and he started questioning me about how many orgasms I had. Told me I should be having them multiple times etc. I remember thinking WTF get me out of here!

Jesus, didn't realise this was a dinosaur thread.

That's horrible :( I was abused by a health professional too, when I was 14-15. I did report it however, but the police did not take me seriously at all, and because there was no other reports of this person, nothing happened.

Zombie thread!!!!!!