How Should a Physician Respond to a Patient's Unexpected Pain During a Pelvic Examination When There Is Clinical Indication of Infection?

Kelsy Schultz; Charita L Roque

doi:10.1001/amajethics.2025.86

How Should a Physician Respond to a Patient's Unexpected Pain During a Pelvic Examination When There Is Clinical Indication of Infection?

AMA J Ethics. 2025 Feb 1;27(2):E86-90. doi: 10.1001/amajethics.2025.86.

Authors

Kelsy Schultz¹, Charita L Roque²

Affiliations

¹ Third-year resident in obstetrics and gynecology at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine in Kalamazoo.
² Assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine in Kalamazoo.

PMID: 39899820
DOI: 10.1001/amajethics.2025.86

Abstract

This commentary on a case considers how to navigate a pelvic exam in the context of a patient's personal experience and suggests the clinical and ethical importance of thoughtful, intentional action and consistent, clear communication in these clinical encounters.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Communication
Female
Gynecological Examination* / ethics
Humans
Pelvic Pain* / etiology
Physician-Patient Relations* / ethics
Physicians* / ethics