My visit to the DR. To report or not?

[Sam]

I had my post natal check up this morning and I left feeling quite disturbed. I don't know if I am over reacting because I know at times I can.

The Doctor was taking my BP and noticed I was wearing a playboy watch so he said to me "oh you are into playboy" then patted my arm, I thought it was a little odd but not enough to worry me until he asked me to undress Jasmine so he could check her over.

I stripped her so he could do her checks,and while he was looking inside her vagina he was talking about child pornography. Now he does have an Indian accent so he is a bit hard to understand but basically he was saying that when he sees children naked he wonder if the parents think he is into child porn. He checks her out and tells me to put her diaper on then says " Im glad she has got her nappy on so I can't get accused of being into child porn"

I am really not sure what to make of this,I know in this day and age you do have to be careful but the thought never crossed my mind until he was going on about child porn.

I felt so uncomfy him talking about child porn while he was checking my daughter.

[Beka]

At the very least i'd report to the HV that you felt uncomfortable (Also can i just say NEITHER of my girls have had to be checked vaginally- both the boys obviously had to be checked for undecended testicals but the girls it was just rotation of the hips- never vaginally so i would mention that to the HV too as it certainly wasn't practice here in 2004 when Dyl was born and i can't see why on earth it would be necessary now?)

Yes i'd report it- mention it to the HV and see where she feels it would be best reported to

[Sam]

It just striked me as very odd and a few people said I should talk about reporting it,not because he may be a dirty old man,but if he made me uncomfy he is likely to do it to someone else.

He only briefly looked in her vagina,he just parted her vaginal lips and took a quick look. I didn't know if that was standard procedure or not.

[Lori]

If it made you uncomfortable, then I think you should say something.

[Shana]

Okay, gross.

Yeah. I would DEFINITELY say something. Porn is definitely a taboo subject for any doctor/patient relationship. Unless of course initiated by the patient, in a counseling session or something. But with a pediatrician?

Um. NO.

[wendygrace]

That is way bizarre. None of our pediatricians have ever checked dd's vagina. That is very strange. Only reason for checking down there is if a mom is concerned. That would make me very uncomfortable and I would run from that doctor. I hate conflict so I would debate reporting as well but its probably a good idea to do so in case there have been others who have had this problem. n

[Lori]

Sam, I was thinking about this more, and I definitely think that you should report it, or at least find a new ped. If my gynecologist started talking about porn while doing my vaginal exam, I'd consider it completely inappropriate. Even if he was just being glib, it's just extremely unprofessional, at best.

[SarahJ]

I think anyone who mentions child porn while examining a baby has stepped over the mark.
I wouldn't feel comfortable with having my baby girl's vagina examined unless there was a definite problem with it.
Sam, I would mention this to your HV for sure.

[giffy]

Devil's Advocate here: My Maternal and Child Health Nurse did check my daughter's vagina at her first few visits. To make sure it was anatomically correct and normal, and that it was clean and so forth.

Of course, this was done by a female nurse who didn't talk about child pornography at the time.

I think at best your ped has been inappropriate, and I'd mention that it made you uncomfortable to his superior. If he doesn't have a superior, I'd find another ped - you need to have a good relationship with your medical practitioners.

[gr8mommy]

When you say he checked her vagina, do you mean internally? Or was he checking the labia for a possible fusion? Sorry to ask, but many women just call the whole package 'vagina', when the vagina is just the internal passage.

Either way, it was inappropriate conversation, it made you feel uncomfortable, and I'd report the exchange to the medical board. I'd also switch doctors.

[Victoria]

I recall Anna's labia getting a quick check at one or two of her baby visits.

[Kristi]

they did check Izzy there as well at her first few appts. But I agree that it is a very inappropriate subject to bring up with you. Esp while he was examining her down there. I just cannot believe that he would bring that up to you. How weird. :eek I would report it to prevent other mothers from being in that situation too.

[Shana]

The issuesisn't Jazzy's vagina getting checked... every little girl has it checked at well child appointments. The issue is that he mentioned porn while doing it. That is sick and that is where the line was crossed.

[Kate]

If it were me, I would be reporting. The topic raised by the doctor was absolutely inappropriate and unethical, regardless of whether or not the examination was appropriate.

[Tamika]

I think that both the verbal and the action are a concern - depending on what the actual action was - I'd have to agree with gr8mommy - was it just for fusion of the labia? Or did he actually go internally. If he went internally then that is child abuse.

[Desirae]

I would definteily mention it! Hopefully it was just a language barrier thing and he didn't REALIZE how innapropriate it came across. I'd be completely disgusted and freaked.:squeeze

[Sam]

He did not go internally :)

It was the comments that bugged me more.

[MistressAndMaid]

I would still report it, his comments were totally unprofessional. Report him and find yourself a new paediatrician.

[Stacy]

wow. I would report it too. I am not comfortable hearing what he said to you let alone if I were the one in the room