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Study suggests that gynecologists are often victims of sexual harassment

Theo

Sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination in the workplace are widespread among physicians and other medical personnel in the field of obstetrics and gynecology, according to a recent literature review.

The analysis, published in JAMA Network Open, shows that medical students, residents, fellows and senior residents in gynecology and obstetrics regularly experience sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the workplace, despite the increasing female dominance in this field.

A team of researchers, including gynecologists, urogynecologists and gynecological oncologists, reviewed ten studies with a total of 5,852 participants in this field.

Up to 70.9 percent of participants in the studies examined reported sexual harassment in the workplace, while up to 67.2 percent of respondents said they had experienced discrimination in the workplace. Reported microaggressions included being told to smile more or “act more motherly,” the researchers found.

The study found that doctors were the most common source of sexual harassment among trainees (30.1 percent), followed by other trainees (13.1 percent) and operating room staff (7.7 percent). Although 10.6 percent of reported perpetrators were women, this figure rose to 57.7 percent when a male trainee reported sexual harassment.

The researchers also examined 12 studies involving nearly 3,000 participants on interventions aimed at reducing mistreatment of trainees in the field. The interventions included institutional anti-abuse initiatives, workshops, and training on reporting harassment. However, the researchers write that “none of the interventions found a significant reduction in the incidence of sexual harassment.”

Part of the problem may be due to power, the researchers write. They point out that despite the female dominance in this field, women are still inferior in leadership positions. Reporting harassment is also a problem, they conclude. Although study participants frequently reported harassment, they mostly shared it with other trainees.

Up to 40.2 percent of study participants said they did not report harassment because they feared retaliation.

The research findings should be used to “recognize the prevalence of bullying, abuse and sexual harassment and to work together on prevention, reporting and interventions,” the researchers concluded. The team calls for more research into ways to improve the working environment and “exemplary professionalism” of gynecologists.

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