Sexual violence perpetrated by health professionals

Sexual violence (SV) perpetrated by health professionals concerns any sexual conduct, whether physical or verbal (with or without contact), toward a patient. There has been little scientific study and some disagreements have emerged regarding its definition, which has even been confused with violation of professional boundaries. In this descriptive-exploratory study, we aimed to characterize this phenomenon in the Portuguese context, using a sample of 491 participants who completed an online questionnaire adapted for this study. The results showed that 8.96% of the participants (5.5% indirect victims) suffered SV by a health professional, and the sociodemographic characteristics are very similar to those of SV in other contexts. Thus, after confirming this is not a problem alien to the Portuguese reality, we discuss the practical implications for prevention and intervention with victims.

Automated summary

This study characterizes sexual violence perpetrated by health professionals in Portugal using an online questionnaire. The results show that 8.96% of participants (5.5% indirect victims) experienced sexual violence by a health professional, with similar sociodemographic characteristics to other contexts of sexual violence. Practical implications for prevention and intervention with victims are discussed.