Respectful Care and Consent to Touch is our passion at MidwifeBLUE. It is our purpose. All women must be treated with respect throughout their healthcare experience. During a routine pap smear? Absolutely. During labor and birth? It’s a vital necessity. During a mammogram? Yes, without a doubt.
As we at MidwifeBLUE see it, Respectful Care is the provision of care for the physical and mental health of the woman (or man) that weighs the emotional experience as heavily as the physical/medical experience. Some examples include, but are not limited to:
Provider sitting during a discussion with a patient/client in order for both parties to remain at eye level and on equal ground. Standing above another individual creates an immediate power imbalance, which then disempowers the seated party. By sitting during visits, consultations, and hospital care the provider invites the patient/client to remain an equal in determining her care.
Making eye contact with a patient/client during the interview portion of a healthcare visit. This is the time that intimate medical details are shared, fears are bared, and lingering questions are finally posed. The landscape of healthcare today creates unfair time demands on providers, many of whom are now forced to document while simultaneously conducting a visit, typically resulting in typing during a conversation instead of sitting in stillness and listening. A lack of eye contact during healthcare discussions may leave the patient/client feeling unimportant, dismissed, uncared for, etc.
We define Consent to Touch as the express permission given by the patient/client to the healthcare provider to proceed with a particular part of the physical exam. It is our core belief that every woman MUST be asked for permission with a question like:
“Is it okay if I check your breasts now?”
“Are you ready for me to perform your vaginal exam now?”
“Is it okay if I touch?”
