Women confront different obstacles to desexualizing

women confront different obstacles to desexualizing the physical exam
patients. Male physicians and nurses are subject to assumptions that they
control of their sexuality. The use of female chaperones during their exam
female patients is based, in part, on this belief. Some men actually do f
arousal, especially in their gynecological examinations of young, a
women. Some men are also uncomfortable when they examine women t
or when they witness female patients undressing. Having a personal rel
with women is conflated with sexual meanings for some. Some endeavo
manize their patient as a car to help them control their physical attracti
In contrast, the women who were interviewed were less concerned ab
trolling their own sexual desire and more concerned about controlling t
desire of their male patients. Many of the female physicians and nurses in t
reported that sexual harassment from patients was "a part of their job."
themselves from sexual harassment, the female health care providers cha
cialties, threatened their male patients, and dressed in ways to minimize th
ninity and sexual attractiveness.
It is interesting how stereotypes about male and female patients' beha
voke different institutional responses. Some doctors (both men and wom
male nurses fear that female patients will falsely accuse them of sexual
they take measures to protect their reputations, including the institutio
of female chaperones. On the other hand, some female health care provi
doctors and nurses) fear that they will be sexually harassed or assaulted
male patients. But chaperones typically are not used to prevent these
because chaperones might "embarrass" the male patient. Consequently
health care providers must devise personal solutions to this problem with
tutionalized support.
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 05 Sep 2017 02:35:41 UTC
All use subject to

480 GENDER & SOCIETY / June 2000
The professions of medicine and nursing, like many occupations, are pro
gendered. Doctors are assumed to possess characteristics conventionall
ated with masculinity (mastery, control, objectivity), while nurses are ex
display putatively feminine characteristics (empathy, modesty). The differ
ing they receive in professional schools bolsters these expectations, with p
focused on "curing" the disease and nurses learning to "care" for the whole
These gendered expectations are reflected in the strategies that men/d
women/nurses use to desexualize the exam. Women/nurses manage the
ship (empathize/protect privacy) between the provider and the patient,
women's widely emphasized interactional and communication sk
men/doctors do not stress managing the relationship; they just bring in an
son (the chaperone) to control and to monitor the situation. Because fema
and male nurses have to negotiate conflicting sets of gender expectations
some strategies not common to their professional colleagues of the opp
Thus, female doctors stress the importance of looking professional, an
nurses sometimes call in chaperones.