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Would you accept a gay or lesbian physician as your doctor?
Sex orientation of a professional seems to be an important topic these days, referring to the federal judge who ruled against California’s Proposition 8 law (denying marriage to homosexual couples). A current accusation is that of unethical behavior by not recusing himself from the case since it is suspected by some of the public that he is gay. A professional judge who has performed successfully over the years was now, despite his clear argument for his ruling. not performing his unbiased and professional duties as a judge because of his suspected personal sexual orientation. My question for here is related to the same issue but with regard to a physician who is gay or lesbian. Should sexual orientation be related to the person’s professional skill and performance as a doctor? I put this question to my Bioethics Discussion Blog and I ask the same question here. The blog thread is below.I would be interested in the opinions of our Medpedia readers. ..Maurice.
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Would You Accept a Gay or Lesbian Physician as Your Doctor?
A question I would like to pose to my blog readers today is about whether patients should request information about their physician’s sexual orientation and decide on the answers as to whether to have this doctor for their own and their family’s care. Would it make any difference to you whether your doctor was gay or lesbian or bisexual, if that doctor appeared and acted in a knowledgeable and humanistic manner and was performing a competent job? Would you accept a gay or lesbian physician as your doctor? Or is a physician’s sexual preference none of the patient’s business? This is a question probably not many patients think of as they acquire or continue care by a physician. Nevertheless, as physician Henry Ng writing in the current August 2010 issue of the AMA’s “Virtual Mentor” the matter of sexual orientation may come up with an innocent question by the patient, “are you married?” To understand the significance of sexual preference disclosure by the physician and the dilemmas that the doctor faces when challenged with questions by the patient regarding the physician’s personal life, read the article by Dr. Ng, return and write your opinions here. ..Maurice.
4 Comments:
Friday, August 06, 2010 5:28:00 AM, Mandy said...
I would. In fact, I don't think there is any need for me (or any patient) to know whether their physician is gay/lesbian. I consider that their personal life. The relationship between the physician and patient is not want that warrants details of either person's sexuality. Having said that, I don't think means that being gay/lesbian is anything to be ashamed of. Far from it. I just think it is unnecessary to be discussing it within doctor/patient relationship.
Friday, August 06, 2010 8:14:00 AM, Maurice Bernstein, M.D.said...Mandy,thanks for your prompt response. Do you think that physicians need the actions of some advocacy group to broadcast to the public the views that you expressed in your response? Again, thanks. ..Maurice.
Friday, August 06, 2010 11:32:00 AM, Mandy said...
To be honest, Maurice, I think it is a sad sorry state that physicians need to have an advocacy group to try and stop something that really shouldn't be an issue from being an issue in a doctor/patient relationship.However, if a society believes it has a fundamental right to know the personal goings on of it's physicians then maybe an advocacy group is what is needed. I consider that a real shame, if that is the case.
Saturday, August 07, 2010 5:28:00 AM, Allison said...
Without question, I would accept a LGBT physician. Sexual orientation is absolutely irrelevant to the person's competency as a doctor. I honestly don't care about the sexual orientation of my doctor. In an ideal world, the doctor has no obligation whatsoever to reveal his sexual orientation. We do not live in an ideal world. We live in a world where many women would feel more comfortable with a hetero male ob/gyn than a lesbian female ob/gyn, which makes no sense whatsoever. So, the real world is more complicated. I do think that good advocacy organizations should play a role. Advocacy organizations should focus on educating people that members of the LGBT community are in every strata of society. They are doctors, lawyers, politicians, bank tellers, construction workers, and, yes, military officers. They aren't just abstract figures that march in gay pride parades and try to get married. As far as who the physician should tell, I do think there might be an obligation to tell any partner doctor in the practice, because, unfortunately, this information may ultimately affect the success of the business. Doctors don't have to tell patients anything, but I agree with the author of the article that it's certainly better for one's psychological health to be open.
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Would You Accept a Gay or Lesbian Physician as Your Doctor?
A question I would like to pose to my blog readers today is about whether patients should request information about their physician’s sexual orientation and decide on the answers as to whether to have this doctor for their own and their family’s care. Would it make any difference to you whether your doctor was gay or lesbian or bisexual, if that doctor appeared and acted in a knowledgeable and humanistic manner and was performing a competent job? Would you accept a gay or lesbian physician as your doctor? Or is a physician’s sexual preference none of the patient’s business? This is a question probably not many patients think of as they acquire or continue care by a physician. Nevertheless, as physician Henry Ng writing in the current August 2010 issue of the AMA’s “Virtual Mentor” the matter of sexual orientation may come up with an innocent question by the patient, “are you married?” To understand the significance of sexual preference disclosure by the physician and the dilemmas that the doctor faces when challenged with questions by the patient regarding the physician’s personal life, read the article by Dr. Ng, return and write your opinions here. ..Maurice.
4 Comments:
Friday, August 06, 2010 5:28:00 AM, Mandy said...
I would. In fact, I don't think there is any need for me (or any patient) to know whether their physician is gay/lesbian. I consider that their personal life. The relationship between the physician and patient is not want that warrants details of either person's sexuality. Having said that, I don't think means that being gay/lesbian is anything to be ashamed of. Far from it. I just think it is unnecessary to be discussing it within doctor/patient relationship.
Friday, August 06, 2010 8:14:00 AM, Maurice Bernstein, M.D.said...Mandy,thanks for your prompt response. Do you think that physicians need the actions of some advocacy group to broadcast to the public the views that you expressed in your response? Again, thanks. ..Maurice.
Friday, August 06, 2010 11:32:00 AM, Mandy said...
To be honest, Maurice, I think it is a sad sorry state that physicians need to have an advocacy group to try and stop something that really shouldn't be an issue from being an issue in a doctor/patient relationship.However, if a society believes it has a fundamental right to know the personal goings on of it's physicians then maybe an advocacy group is what is needed. I consider that a real shame, if that is the case.
Saturday, August 07, 2010 5:28:00 AM, Allison said...
Without question, I would accept a LGBT physician. Sexual orientation is absolutely irrelevant to the person's competency as a doctor. I honestly don't care about the sexual orientation of my doctor. In an ideal world, the doctor has no obligation whatsoever to reveal his sexual orientation. We do not live in an ideal world. We live in a world where many women would feel more comfortable with a hetero male ob/gyn than a lesbian female ob/gyn, which makes no sense whatsoever. So, the real world is more complicated. I do think that good advocacy organizations should play a role. Advocacy organizations should focus on educating people that members of the LGBT community are in every strata of society. They are doctors, lawyers, politicians, bank tellers, construction workers, and, yes, military officers. They aren't just abstract figures that march in gay pride parades and try to get married. As far as who the physician should tell, I do think there might be an obligation to tell any partner doctor in the practice, because, unfortunately, this information may ultimately affect the success of the business. Doctors don't have to tell patients anything, but I agree with the author of the article that it's certainly better for one's psychological health to be open.
asked Aug 07, 2010 at 07:11PM in Other
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3Votes
answered Aug 07, 2010 at 10:56PMI try to answer with another question: if you need to see a doctor urgently, you'll really consider his sexual interests?-
I totally agree.Beth L. Gainer commented Aug 11, 2010 at 11:07AM
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answered Aug 08, 2010 at 09:37AMAgain, I had a wonderful physician who I knew to be gay, not from him but from a sibling who is "out" and proud of it, so I am not violating his confidentiality. This physician's sexual orientation was never discussed because it was irrelevant to his medical work and relationship with patients. It just so happened that the majority of his patients at the time were also gay, because he was practising in the "gay village" in my city, and many had HIV/AIDS. As I commented before, I did not have HIV/AIDS, but was impressed by his compassion and care for people who I knew could be shunned by what I hoped was a minority of physicians. The only difficulty I had with him was that I had a standard wait of an hour and half, because (a) he took time with patients and addressed them holistically, and (b) he prioritized. As I sat in a waiting room with men who clearly would often be visibly sick or had Kaposi's Sarcoma, I felt their needs often superceded mine, so I brought a book to read. By the time I got to the physician, he was so kind and thorough that it was worth the wait. I remember him as one of my best physicians. By the way, I am opposed to "don't ask, don't tell" in any context because it denies the wholeness of people and a freedom that is given to others. As long as people are doing their job with competence, sexual orientation is irrelevent. If a patient is uncomfortable with a gay or lesbian physician, and goes elsewhere, he/she may find someone who is his/her sexual preference but who may or may not be as good at their job. -
2Votesanswered Aug 08, 2010 at 09:53AMJust one more comment from a blog visitor posted yesterday and raises a point: if patients are allowed to choose a physician's gender for comfort as part of the issue of patient physical modesty, shouldn't attention be given to the patient's comfort during the physical exam by permitting the patient to select a physician of an accepted sexual orientation? If so, then the patient should be made aware of the physician's sexual orientation. Here is the comment. ..Maurice.
"At Saturday, August 07, 2010 11:29:00 AM, Payne Hertz said...
There is an interesting dilemma here and I don't think the answer is as straightforward as that article implied. I personally wouldn't care whether my doctor was gay or straight, but if I felt there was a sexual vibe there during a genital exam that would definitely be a turn off. We accept that people have a right to choose physicians of a particular gender for more intimate examinations based on nothing more than the patient's subjective comfort level with that particular gender. We understand, and accept, that a patient may not be comfortable getting naked in front of a doctor if he or she perceives there may be sexual overtones to the encounter, and thus we respect the patient's right to choose the gender they are most comfortable with and request chaperones.
Though in most circumstances, gay people should have the right to privacy and non-disclosure for all the reasons stated in that article, in this particular instance, doesn't the patient have the same right to know whether a doctor is gay and therefore, presumably not "safe" from a standpoint of sexual comfortability on the part of the patient, as they would to choose a particular gender? I can see where if a doctor fails to disclose his or her sexual orientation, and is later outed, a patient who had a genital exam might feel violated for reasons that have nothing to do with homophobia and everything to do with that patient's subjective comfort level." -
1Votesanswered Aug 08, 2010 at 10:11AMI think the "vibe" shouldn't be there if a physician is well trained and ethical. If a physician, gay, lesbian, transgendered, straight, or whatever, is "turned on" during a physical examination of a patient, he or she needs to have further training or counseling to adopt a more medical approach to the human body. If a patient has concerns that a physican is having an inappropriate response during a physical exam, it might be time to seek another physician. Or an alternative is what my present physician does, which is to give the patient the option of a female staff member to be there at the time he is cempleting an exam, to raise my comfort level. I haven't accepted the offer, because he is completely appropriate and excellent at his job. I think there is a stereotype of gays in particular, be it physicians or other professionals, that they are only thinking of sex all the time. I have heard this expressed by military folks in the "don't ask, don't tell" debate. The idea is that gays and lesbians are liable to pounce on someone at any given moment, with no concern for professionalism. It is a stereotype, as there is just as much chance of being pounced on by a straight. I would like to see statistics that confirm people's fears, of gay physicians or others in their trust. Perhaps it is stereotypes and fears, projected onto the physician that is the problem, and not a real "vibe".
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3Votes
answered Aug 09, 2010 at 02:06PMI've never asked a doctor whether he was gay and, frankly, it would never occur to me to ask. Why would I care what my doctor's sexual orientation was unless he "made a pass" at me, in which case it would be a clear violation of professional ethics even if it were a heterosexual advance. As a patient, my only concern is with his medical knowledge, his efficiency and his bedside manner. Anything else is, and should be irrelevant. Frankly, the correct answer should anyone ever ask any physician that question should be, "it's none of your business."-
Excellent and to the point, Eric.Kim M Robinson commented Aug 09, 2010 at 02:20PM
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1Votesanswered Aug 09, 2010 at 03:10PMBut Eric, doesn't my blog visitor have a point when he writes the following?: "Though in most circumstances, gay people should have the right to privacy and non-disclosure for all the reasons stated in that article, in this particular instance, doesn't the patient have the same right to know whether a doctor is gay and therefore, presumably not "safe" from a standpoint of sexual comfortability on the part of the patient, as they would to choose a particular gender? I can see where if a doctor fails to disclose his or her sexual orientation, and is later outed, a patient who had a genital exam might feel violated for reasons that have nothing to do with homophobia and everything to do with that patient's subjective comfort level." If patients have a right to choose gender of their healthcare providers simply for emotional comfort for bodily modesty and perhaps sexual implications, shouldn't they be able to choose the gender sexual orientation for the same emotional comfort concerns? I do have concerns about patients right to even choose the gender of their healthcare providers since I really wonder if this leads to discrimination in the workplace---where are the male nurses in delivery and elsewhere and male techs in mammography? ..Maurice.
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4Votes
answered Aug 09, 2010 at 04:32PMAbsolutely, yes. When you have terminally ill children like I do, you need to find answers and treatments to help them. What matters most is intelligence and compassion and how good a doctor is at treating a patient. When your kids are dying, you could care less if someone is straight or gay. All I want is to work with people who want to take the risk to aggressively treat my children and help me save their lives. -
0Votesanswered Aug 09, 2010 at 07:36PMChris and others, though I don't intend to defend the view, what do you think about what my blog visitor wrote about the importance of "sexual comfortability" of a patient when being treated by a physician. Should that really be a "patient right" which leads to the selection of a specific gender and a specific sexual orientation of a healthcare provider and which, in my view, leads to forms of sexual discrimination in my mind except a court or courts have given an OK to the rationale of bodily modesty. Eric, where are you? Can you give me your legal opinion about that on this Question? ..Maurice.
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4Votesanswered Aug 09, 2010 at 10:57PMEvery patient has a right to choose their own physician within the limits of their insurance coverage and the nature of the problem for which they are seeking help. Moreover, every patient should choose to see a physician they feel comfortable with; not just sexually, but emotionally as well. If not, they will be hesitant to provide full disclosure of their problems and severely limit diagnosis and treatment. These "rights" have their limits, however, just as all rights do.
The accommodation of a patient's "sexual comfort," is a good will gesture on the part of a practice or hospital, but not required. If a patient "suspects" that their physician is gay, or if he is openly so, the patient can ask to see another physician. If that request is refused for any reason, however, choosing to find another physician in another facility, is their only right. Moreover, they do not have a right to demand disclosure of a factor that is irrelevant to their choice or care if they are not aware of it. Additionally, as a group who have traditionally been discriminated against, it would be unreasonable to demand that each gay physician post a sign in their office announcing, "I am gay."
If I have excessive modesty, and want a male physician, I can ask for one but there is no obligation for a practice or even a government supported hospital to provide one (although most will try to accommodate a patient's wishes if they can). Moreover, since sexual orientation, which is far less obvious than skin color or gender and, like them has nothing to do with physician competence, is probably only going to be known if the physician announces it, or if they are openly gay, a patient may see a physician for years, never know, and be extremely happy with their care. We may accommodate a patient (like the Korean patient in another question) out of a desire to help someone get well, but that voluntary accommodation is as far as it does or should go. -
2Votes
answered Aug 11, 2010 at 06:16AMI want to thank everyone so far for their contributions to this thread. I am happy to see that this thread has raised awareness of challenges that physicians and other health providers face on a day to day basis regarding self-disclosure of sexual orientation.
A related issue, and perhaps a separate thread would involve those who are LGBT but still in their training. Trainees and students who are LGBT often find themselves in homophobic, heterosexist environments with few "Out" individuals who can serve as role models or mentors. Some fields of medicine are more accepting or tolerant of LGBT providers, including those in primary care. Surgical subspecialties, however, are still less supportive (bat best) of LGBT trainees. I personally see an important role for advocacy organizations such as the Gay Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) in supporting both providers and trainees and advocating for equality in health care for all. -
1Votes
answered Aug 11, 2010 at 06:29AMMaurice, Eric and Henry
If the question was posed differently, the response may not be the same and there may be higher % of reservations or refusals.
men: will you accept to be examined by a gay urologist?
women: will you accept to be examined by a lesbian ObGy? -
2Votesanswered Aug 11, 2010 at 08:25AMYes, I will accept to be examined by a lesbian ObGyn. A lesbian ObGyn is subject to the same ethical standards as a male heterosexual ObGyn, who is just as likely to behave unprofessionally/unethically. To address an earlier discussion, I also believe that men should have the same opportunity to be maternity doctors, or any other professional role that is traditionally female, just as I believe the reverse (women into traditionally male roles). I recall being supportive of a transgendered person, who felt herself to be female although born a male, who wished to be a rape counselor. This person was rejected by the Rape Crisis Center in Vancouver, because feminists felt only someone born physically as a female, and raised as a female, could possible understand other females enough to volunteer in that environment. So far we have been talking about males and females, heterosexuals, homosexuals, and lesbians, but we can go further and ask, how would we related to a transgender or transvestite physician? How far does or should any professional have to go to hide his or her identity? What is more important, the identity of the professional, or his or her medical ability? How far has the world come in acceptance of difference, and how much should be hidden?
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Really insightful answer, Kim.Beth L. Gainer commented Aug 11, 2010 at 11:08AM
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answered Aug 11, 2010 at 11:15AMI enjoyed reading the answers to this question. Would I accept and LGBT doctor? Yes, and I have had gay doctors. However, when it comes down to it -- as is always the case -- it's up to the patient whether he/she feels comfortable with a doctor from another sexual orientation, race, religion, etc.
The only doctors who should be avoided are incompetent ones, and choosing a doctor shouldn't be based on sexual orientation. However, we don't live in an ideal world, and some patients would rather not have a doctor that they think is of a different sexual orientation. That is their choice, and we can judge that choice by our own frame of reference.
Also, unless the doctor is "outed" or discusses his/her sexuality, the latter being inappropriate no matter the sexual orientation, most patients wouldn't know or think to ask. -
0Votesanswered Aug 11, 2010 at 11:32AMKim and Beth,
Thanks for your great answer and comments. In the ideal world, discrimination of all types should be eliminated. Patients want to go to a well trained and good doctor who can treat the illness.-
Thanks, Krishan!Beth L. Gainer commented Aug 11, 2010 at 11:41AM
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1Votesanswered Aug 11, 2010 at 02:21PMBeth, you wrote "Yes, and I have had gay doctors." Please tell us, if you can, how you found out that they were gay. Did you ask and if so how did you ask? Did the doctors volunteer the information? Was there something in the physician's behavior or actions and you simply surmised? Or were you told by another patient or another physician? ..Maurice.
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0Votesanswered Aug 12, 2010 at 06:29AMThanks for bringing up these important questions, Maurice. I would never ask a doctor's sexual orientation (it really doesn't matter to me), but in one case a patient recommended a doctor whom she said was gay. He had his practice in the basement of his house, whom he shared with his partner. In another case, a doctor mentioned it, off the cuff, but it was not inappropriate. I can't remember the context of the conversation, but it was just a brief mention.
You bring up good points about whether we assume doctors are gay by behavior and actions. It's a reminder to us, the patients, and to society at large, not to assume anything unless we know things for a fact. -
1Votesanswered Aug 12, 2010 at 01:45PMBeth you write "It's a reminder to us, the patients, and to society at large, not to assume anything unless we know things for a fact"..Oh! So true! In this regard, if we assume from behavior or actions in his or her interaction with us that the doctor is gay or lesbian, how are we going to know that our assumption is correct and is a fact? Unless the physician "outs" to us or we have clearly observed visible and frank homosexual interaction, how do we really know? I would be cautious even accepting information from another party.
You know, I have been teaching first and second year medical students for now about 24 years and I have yet to have dealt with a known gay or lesbian med student. Let's see, each year I deal with 6 or 12 students, that means I have seen as their instructor 144 or up to 288 students. Should I conceive that there has never been a gay or lesbian student, not a single one in these 24 years? Or should I think that there was at least one or more who were unrecognized by me? Well, being unrecognized is perfectly OK if that was their wish but on the other hand, if they would have told me about their sexual orientation and their concerns about how they could fit in the medical curriculum and later, maybe I could have become a tool to look and find them their answers. We do help students with other issues. I agree with Dr, Ng about the value of an open homosexual on the staff or as a fellow student who might be a good resource for my student..but unfortunately, where are they?
Finally, so far, on this thread,we have virtually all been unanimous about accepting a gay or lesbian as our doctor, however there must be some Medpedia reader who has some strong feeling that they might explain because of which they would reject a gay or lesbian doctor. It would be of great worth and interest for us to read their argument supporting their view. ..Maurice.-
Maurice, your points are really well-taken!Beth L. Gainer commented Aug 12, 2010 at 01:56PM
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0Votesanswered Oct 29 at 11:29AMSome of you may have heard about a recent Youtube video feature Linda Harvey, who is a radio host and founder of Mission:America, a Christian pro-family organization tracking current cultural issues. The organization's flagship website is www.missionamerica.com, with weekly e-newsletters transmitted to a national audience.
She has an interesting short video in which she posits ethical and cultural issues about parent values and care of children by lesbian and gay clinicians. What do you think about this? The link is attached below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnuPrEa1HNE -
0Votesanswered Oct 29 at 10:27PMIt is a short commentary by Harvey but does she have any controlled statistical studies to support her contention that gay or lesbian healthcare providers harm children either at the time of their interaction or the children show harm in later years because of that interaction? If she doesn't have a valid statistical basis for such a claim, then what she says is only her own bias and speculation and, in my opinion, is inappropriate to make such generalizations. ..Maurice.
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The content on or accessible through Medpedia.com is for informational purposes only. Medpedia is not a substitute for professional advice or expert medical services from a qualified health professional.
Read more
My Bioethics Discussion Blog thread:
http://bioethicsdiscussion.blogspot.com/2010/08/would-you-accept-gay-or-lesbian.html#comments
The link to Dr. Ng's commentary in "Virtual Mentor":
http://virtualmentor.ama-assn.org/2010/08/ccas2-1008.html
..Maurice.