Change.org Petition: Forced pelvic exams - Stop Non-Consensual Pelvic Exams on Anesthetized Patients in New Mexico

Forced pelvic exams are currently legal in 31 states. Medical students “practice” on patients under anesthesia, often without prior consent. A’magine wants to ban these invasive procedures in her home state of New Mexico. Add your name to make it clear that doctors must get consent before performing pelvic exams on patients under anesthesia. Stop Non-Consensual Pelvic Exams on Anesthetized Patients in New Mexico 2,744 have signed A’magine Goddard’s petition. Let’s get to 5,000!

Sign now with a click

Most people are shocked to learn that it is common for medical students to learn how to do pelvic exams by "practicing" on anesthetized patients who have come in for surgical procedures, often without any prior consent. This practice has a long history and happens all over the U.S. and around the world in many medical institutions. The patients rarely know it has happened because they were unconscious. Pelvic exams can happen to anesthetized patients in other scenarios as well. This can happen to anyone with a vagina. Both students and patients are traumatized by this long-standing practice. It is very hard for medical students to say "no" when they are asked to do something, and the psychological impact on them is yet undocumented. It was found in a 2003 peer-reviewed research study that 90% of students were learning in this manner. No new research has shown this number to have changed. Institutions often defend and protect this practice, despite public outcry. We need to outlaw this practice in order to make it clear that this kind of betrayal of patient bodies is not okay. If medical institutions were going to change this themselves, they would have done it by now. It’s time that we send a clear message that informed consent is critical for pelvic exams while under anesthesia.  There are currently only 19 states that outlaw this practice. Yes, that means it’s legal everywhere else, including New Mexico. Our goal is to get laws passed in all 50 states. We are asking you to show our state legislators that we will not accept non-consensual exams on anesthetized patients in New Mexico. We, the undersigned, ask our New Mexico representatives to protect patient autonomy and informed consent by passing legislation banning this practice.

Sign now with a click

Visit petition page

At Change.org, we believe in the voice of everyday people. Is there something that you want to change? Start a petition today