Whenever you go and visit a medical professional, such as a physical therapist, dentist, or doctor, you automatically trust them to provide you with a safe and respectful experience, where they will focus solely on taking care of your health. However, unfortunately, there are some medical professionals out there that sadly abuse their position of power by sexual abusing their patients. If this is something that has ever happened to you, then read this article on How to Report a Doctor For Sexual Assault and Unprofessional Behavior. For someone who has not visited a medical professional before or for some time, then it is important to know exactly what to expect.
What to expect
If you are visiting a medical professional for something like a treatment, a procedure, or an examination, you should expect:
- Privacy – your session with a medical professional should be conducted in a room that is private – either with the curtain drawn or the door shut. There should also be a private cubicle for you to get changed in if necessary.
- Your questions answered – any questions that you ask of a medical professional should always be answered in a way that is truthful and respectful to you. This is particularly true when asking questions in relation to what they will be doing and why.
- To be able to end the session – if during your session you feel uncomfortable for any reason, you are well within your right to ask for it to stop right away. Your request should be immediately respected by the medical professional.
- Respect for your faith – regardless of what religion you follow, you should be allowed by a medical professional to be able to wear any religious garments and / or jewelry that you may have on during your session. In those instances where these things prevent you from getting care then you may be asked to remove them.
- Your pain to be taken seriously – a medical professional should always tell you in advance if something is going to cause you pain. When feeling any pain and you make them aware that you want to stop, then they should act immediately to stop this.
- Communication in the language you speak – every reasonable effort should be made by a medical professional to communicate to you in the language that you speak. If a medical professional does not speak your language, then you are well within your rights to ask for someone else, such as an interpreter to be present. Alternatively, you can bring a family member or friend along who can communicate with a medical professional on your behalf.
- To be able to ask for a different medical professional – if it makes you feel more comfortable, you can ask for a medical professional of a different gender to conduct your session. However, this may take time to arrange and is something that may not be possible if you are being seen in an emergency situation or if your health is at risk.
