I speak for visitors, generally from the United States, writing to my "Patient Modesty" thread within the Bioethics Discussion Blog ( http://bioethicsdiscussion.blogspot.com ) over the past 6 years, thousands of comments about how badly they were treated by those in the medical system with regard to their physical modesty issues. They find lack of concern by healthcare providers and employees within the healthcare system and even governmental agencies with regard to patient requests to have those who examine, perform procedures, treat and perform nursing duties be of the patient-selected gender, not to have visitors present during examination or procedures without the patient's consent, not to have to undress needlessly and if a body covering is necessary, that it be such that the patient feels comfortable about that covering. There is concern that some healthcare providers act unprofessionally when the patient's bodies are exposed and yet are unmonitored by their superiors. Some visitors express that they would forgo essential examination or procedures, even harming their health, because of the inability to get the healthcare provider of the gender they request or because of the behavior of the provider.
If you find that you agree that it is important that the medical community be made aware of these issues, please acknowledge this by signing this petition.
