In the United States, medical students are legally able to invasively examine unconscious patients, even children, without their consent in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
These states all have laws that allow medical students to learn by performing pelvic and other exams on unconscious patients for educational purposes.
This is just wrong.
This is a violation of human rights.
Practicing on unconscious patients without consent is unethical and puts patients at risk of physical and psychological harm.
The medical community must immediately take steps to ensure that unconscious patients are not subjected to examinations, treatments or procedures without their consent.
We should just call it what it is. This is rape.
Why is this rape? Because the patients DO NOT CONSENT. They are not informed before or after that their bodies are used, like an object, for "practice".
Medical "practice" on unconscious patients without their consent is an egregious form of sexual assault perpetrated by medical students. This is criminal.
This form of rape is especially heinous because it relies on the trust that is inherent in the doctor-patient relationship. The psychological effects of which are often devastating, and can lead to feelings of terror, betrayal, and guilt.
This "practice" is disgusting and inexcusable and is an affront to the dignity of the patient. Further, it is an egregious violation of the trust that patients have placed in the medical profession. No patient should ever feel violated in this way.
This unconscionable crime results when medical students use their position of power and authority to take advantage of unconscious patients in the name of education.
This is not education.
This is a heinous violation of a patient's rights, and all medical students, their supervisors, their educators and their institutions must be held accountable for such actions.
See links below for additional information and to learn how you can help stop this barbaric practice.