Another woman has come forward claiming bad behaviour by a senior gynaecologist during a vaginal exam.
(File image) Photo: 123rf
In July, a young woman alleged the doctor asked her if he had a chance with her while carrying out the procedure.
Now a second woman alleges the same doctor asked her if she was prepared to lose her dignity and inserted the speculum without warning, causing so much pain the examination had to stop.
Anna, which is not her real name, has a history of abnormal smears. So, in early 2017, she went to a hospital for a colposcopy, a visual exam of her cervix.
She was 28 years old. The gynaecologist was an older man.
Anna is a doctor too, and thought she knew what to expect.
"I'd had previous colposcopies at other hospitals, other DHBs, and they were all straightforward," she said.
"He knew that I was doctor and I kind of expected him to make a bit of an extra effort because he knew that I knew what was supposed to happen."
But Anna said it did not go that way and alarm bells rang when he made a comment as she went to remove her clothes.
"When I went to the bathroom to get undressed, which is just attached to the examination area, he asked me if I was ready to lose my dignity which really threw me off," she said.
Once she was on the examination table, Anna said the appointment got worse.
"You have no underwear on, and your feet are up in the stirrups. He surprised me by inserting the speculum without warning."
Anna said that was shocking and so painful the exam could not continue.
"I was really shocked, and I think as a result I really tensed up and then the examination became really painful.
"The nurse who was in the room also saw this and came over and held my hand. And then what happened is that the procedure had to be abandoned so I didn't even get the colposcopy.
"I was in too much pain for him to be able to, I think, see what he needed to see like he wasn't able to open up the speculum properly."
The appointment left her feeling "creeped out" and she felt the doctor's behaviour was unprofessional and inappropriate.
As a doctor, Anna has herself carried out vaginal exams.
She said she would always tell a patient before she inserted anything inside of them and regularly seek consent at each step.
"Including like lifting up the sheet, letting people know that I am going to touch their body, is that okay? Letting them know that I am going to insert the speculum, is that okay?"
Afterwards, Anna said she wanted to complain but did not want to cause trouble, so called the hospital's gynaecologist clinic.
"When I explained what had happened, I was dismissed and told something like oh, you know, that's just him, he's got a funny sense of humour."
While she knew what the colposcopy involved, the timing of speculum being inserted was not consensual, Anna said.
Health and Disability Commissioner Morag McDowell could not comment on the specific allegations, but said informed consent was particularly important when patients were in such vulnerable positions.
"Intimate examinations are really of heightened significance so consent in that situation I would expect to be explicit," McDowell said.
"That also means it has to be conveyed in an environment to allow both the consumer and the provider to communicate openly, honestly and effectively so it's really important for those vulnerable consumers to have that environment."
The Medical Council also could not comment on the claims.
It said the usual practice was for a doctor to explain the entire procedure and answer questions before starting it.
Anna did not recall the doctor explaining anything.
"I think this doctor needs to reflect on his behaviour and also respect the fact that he's in a role that put women in very vulnerable positions," she said.
The doctor has not responded to RNZ's requests for comment.
He has previously denied an allegation revealed by RNZ last month that he had asked a young patient if he had a chance with her, while carry out a vaginal examination this year.
The hospital, which RNZ is not naming, said it had zero tolerance for inappropriate behaviour and always investigated when a complaint was made.
It encouraged Anna to contact its Women's Health Service so it could look into the incident.