by Jenny Erikson
I know many, many women who choose to see female gynecologists
exclusively. Heck, I used to be one! Until just a few months ago, I
never thought I'd voluntarily see a man doctor for my girly bits, but
then one came highly recommended, and I gotta say -- it wasn't really
any more unpleasant than the female docs I'd previously been to. His
bedside manner was great, and I think I'll keep him as my regular.
I may have made a different decision if I'd heard about this story
before I booked my appointment. A gynecologist in Arkansas is being
charged with video voyeurism for "allegedly [using] his cell phone to take nude photos of patients during office exams."
Aghhh! Is that every woman's worst nightmare at the gyno's or what?
The investigation started last month, after a woman complained that Dr. Paul Becton Jr. "produced his cellular telephone and took photographs of her pubic region and buttocks" while she was on the table.
After obtaining a search warrant for the 68-year-old, whose website
touts over 30 years of medical practice, police found "numerous images
of nude females that appear to have been taken in a medical office
during medical examinations." They were found as deleted images on the
hard drive of his cellphone.
The woman who made the complaint identified five of the nude photos
as ones "that were taken without her knowledge or consent." Becton has
been charged with five felony voyeurism counts.
More from The Stir: Would You Feel Comfortable With a Male Gynecologist?
Talk about an extreme violation! It's already unnerving enough to let
someone, even a trained professional someone, all up in our business
like that. But we're supposed to have faith that they do this all the
time and take no particular special interest in our own special flowers.
This is especially creepy because he's a man! Now, I'm an
equal opportunist, and know that there are questionable women out there
too. But I've heard many people reason that they only want to see female
OB-GYNs because they don't understand why a man would want to go into
the field in the first place.
I always believed it was an appreciation for our gender as a whole,
and a desire to keep us as healthy as possible. Besides, what greater
job could there be than one where you get to help bring new life into
the world on a regular basis?
But if this guy is taking pictures? Why?? Is the fetish a recent
development, or has he always been looking at his patients a little
funny? Is this why he got into the field in the first place? Sick, sick,
sick!
I still believe the vast majority (like, hopefully, all the rest) of
male gynecologists don't get their jollies by staring at lady parts all
day. But stories like this are bound to give us a girls a pause when we
decide whether or not we want our special places tended to by a man or a
woman.
Do you see a male or female OB/GYN?
Does this story change your opinion on seeing a male gynecologist?
by
on Apr. 25, 2014 at 6:57 PM
- mamatink7
on Apr. 29, 2014 at 8:06 PMfemale, only see female drs (ob or regular)