Assessment of Sexual Misconduct Among Egyptian Female Medical Professionals

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University

2 Family Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University

3 Forensic and clinical Toxicology department. Faculty of medicine. Suez Canal University. Ismailia. Egypt

Abstract

Sexual misconduct refers to activities that exploit professional-client relationships in a sexual way, posing significant issues globally, especially among medical practitioners. This study assesses patterns and predictors of sexual misconduct among female medical practitioners in Egypt, emphasizing the medico-legal implications. Descriptive cross-sectional survey included 389 female medical professionals from Egypt. A self-administered electronic questionnaire was used to collect data, which included sociodemographic information, patterns of sexual misconduct, attitudes, and perceptions of the medicolegal implications. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 27, with a significance level of p < 0.05. Of 389 responders, 81.2% were physicians, 16.5% were pharmacists, and 2.3% were dentists. Strangers perpetrated 43.8% of instances, followed by coworkers (14.5%). The most reported forms of harassment were unwanted sexual comments (30.1%), and the most prevalent type of attack was grabbing or groping (58.6%). Anxiety about safety (62%) was the most significant psychological consequence. Only 11.6% disclosed incidents. Significant associations were discovered between sexual misconduct and age and location (p < 0.05). Sexual misconduct is common among female medical practitioners in Egypt, having serious psychological and professional consequences. Addressing this issue requires more awareness, robust reporting methods, and legal initiatives.

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