When Rebecca Kramer (all names have been changed) reads the local section of the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger”, it awakens unpleasant memories. What she experienced during her first exam at the municipal health department a few months ago still haunts the teacher, who has meanwhile become a state employee. The minutes she lay half-naked in front of a medical officer seemed like an eternity.
In the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger” a 29-year-old woman from Cologne expressed her horror at her investigation a few weeks ago. For no apparent reason, she was asked to release her upper body and remove her bra, she says. She remained semi-naked in front of a doctor for several minutes. “It was so awful that I just wanted to get it over with,” she said. The health department has launched an ongoing investigation and has spoken to the individual, the doctor and a doctor who was also in the room. “The city of Cologne is not authorized to broadcast the content of confidential discussions,” a spokeswoman said. Several women then also reported to the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger” and described similar experiences. Also to support the 29-year-old.
Examination in the Cologne health department without a bra
Rebecca Kramer is also affected. She was also asked to remove her bra for most of the exam and during this time she felt very uncomfortable. The city itself also received several complaints where “the issue of clothing was the focus,” as a spokeswoman said. Two of the complaints came from women. “After the initial consultation, the doctor asked me to fully release my upper body and lie down on the couch,” says Kramer. Although she was taken aback, she felt pressured to make sure the report was not negative. After all, her tenure depended on it. The 33-year-old relates: ‘So I lay down on the couch shirtless. ‘When I see your feet on the couch, I know you’re done. Then I’ll come,’ the doctor said.
Then – with his chest fully exposed – his reflexes were put to the test. “I just shut up and looked at the wall,” says Kramer. “I was really surprised when he listened to me with the stethoscope. He pressed my nipple with it.” The doctor is quoted as saying, “Oh, please excuse me, I was so fascinated by your navel piercing that I didn’t look at where I was pressing.” Even Kramer was in this situation that he didn’t dare say anything-“Because the doctor was so nice up until then.”
Kramer reports that he was “completely overwhelmed” by the situation. “I smiled but felt more and more uneasy,” he says. “Then the doctor felt my stomach. He asked me to pull my panties down even further. He said, “I’d lend a hand too, but then I’d end up in the devil’s kitchen.” I was paralyzed and perplexed. I was glad he walked away from me shortly after and he asked me to get up. Then he examined my spine and felt my back ”. According to his description, Kramer’s upper body was still completely bare, braless.
“Systematic abuse of power” during the medical examination
“Eventually, I would have to stand sideways to him, still shirtless, and do some balancing exercises,” Kramer continues. “I was very nervous and I was sweating. I just wanted to get out.” Shortly thereafter she was “finally allowed to dress again”. The doctor communicated her prognosis and greeted her in a friendly way. “When I left the building, I felt foggy,” says Kramer. “I’m actually an empowered woman who knows how to defend her point of view and I was horrified at myself for enduring this scrutiny.”
Did the medical officer abuse his position? For Rebecca Kramer, the incident shows “a systematic abuse of power”. Unlike the family doctor or gynecologist, no one can choose who should be examined, not even if it should be a woman or a man. “Clients are examined by doctors. Clients are examined by doctors,” a city spokeswoman said. “In individual cases” it could happen that women are examined by doctors, for example “if a certain specialist medical qualification is required or deadlines have to be met”. these cases, it is guaranteed that “another employee is present for the duration of the physical exam.” However, Rebecca Kramer describes being alone with the doctor during the entire exam. Again, the city announced it would been elaborated, but it was not possible to say more precisely at this time.
No universal guideline for coroner’s examination
According to the NRW Ministry of Health, there are no universal guidelines on which parts of the body should be examined and exposed. “The ministry has not established a standardized procedure for investigations,” a spokeswoman said. Rather, each municipal health department decides for itself and each doctor in this case on a case-by-case basis.
Dr Rudolf Lange is the spokesperson for the ‘Quality Assurance Working Group for Official Medical Reports of NRW’ and has been addressing the issues in the classroom. “The deciding factor is what the goal of the study is,” says Lange. A complete stripping of the entire body, for example, to examine the genitals for symptoms of cancer, far exceeds the mark. “But the question of whether it might be necessary for women to release their breasts can be answered with a clear yes,” says Lange. Depending on the size and shape of the bra, it can get in the way for particular exams, such as listening with a stethoscope. In special situations, an ECG is also required, for which even the bra can be in the way.
In no case, however, is a “basic full body exposure for the entire duration of the exam,” Lange points out. Rather, it is appropriate to only free up body parts for individual, usually short, exam sections. For all evaluations that can also be done with clothing, such as balance, this is explicitly not necessary.
Fear of unfounded bad results
In these situations, where parts of the body need to be bare, Lange says professionalism on both sides is important. “Although there are women who have no problem releasing their bodies, this can cause some discomfort because they don’t know the doctor who is examining them,” says Lange. “Normally, such an examination should be nearly gender-neutral, regardless of whether the examiner and the person being examined are male or female.” Fears of a negative outcome are no longer justified, Lange points out. Nowadays, those affected would have to have serious signs of illness in order not to be civil servants.
The minutes from the Cologne health department had a lasting effect on Rebecca Kramer. Soon after, when she heard lewd comments at a private doctor’s appointment, she had to take action and changed doctors. “Now I only allow women to examine me,” says Kramer. “I don’t want to worry about what I wear anymore. This has an end now.”
