A report from the Ministry of Health reveals shocking numbers regarding sexual abuse in healthcare nationwide. On Monday, the results of a study carried out by the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute for the Ministry of Health were published.
The data comes from an online survey answered by 963 women over 21 years of age, conducted from January to June 2023. Interviews were also carried out with professionals and female patients and online conversations were analyzed.
The report reveals that this is a more than common situation: 37% of the women surveyed experienced sexual abuse by a health care provider.
Although about 15% of cases involve inappropriate looks or comments, in 13% of cases the abuse involved physical contact, 5% were rape or forced acts, and 4% suffered extortion or threats.
Most of the abuses occurred in medical facilities. 50% of the incidents occurred in public healthcare clinics, 28% in private clinics and 16% in hospitals.
Another relevant fact is that only 7% of the harmed women reported the abuse to an official entity.
Rachel Nisanholz-Gannot, a professor at the Brookdale Institute, said that “the research paints a very bleak picture, as very few of the victims knew where to turn,” adding that “no woman should go through sexual assault, certainly not without any support, and all women should know where to turn and that their referral will be dealt with quickly and professionally.”