As a medical professional, you should be extra careful in how you approach sexual relationships to protect your license. You don’t want to lose your license because you made sexual advances to the wrong person.
Here is what you need to know about sexual misconduct in your career:
Sexual exploitation
If you are a Board-regulated practitioner and are accused of sexually exploiting a current or former patient or their immediate family member, you may face disciplinary action, which can result in losing your license.
In this context, sexual exploitation is defined as any sexual behavior that uses the trust, knowledge, emotions or influence obtained from the professional relationship.
This rule also protects the immediate family members of a patient because they can be equally vulnerable as the patient since they play an integral part in the doctor-patient relationship.
Sexual behavior
It can be unlawful for a Board-regulated practitioner to engage in sexual behavior with a current patient other than their spouse.
This rule may not apply to former patients, but it’s important to be cautious. You don’t want to expose your career to potential risks. Cases of physicians facing disciplinary actions after dating a former patient have been reported despite the inexistence of the professional relationship.
Sexual behavior with a mental health disorder patient
A Board-regulated practitioner who takes part in the treatment/management of a patient (other than their spouse) with a mental health disorder and engages in sexual behavior with that patient before the second anniversary of the termination of their professional relationship may lose their license.
Consent does not apply as a defense in these cases. If you are facing disciplinary action regarding any of these behaviors, learn more to protect your license, career and reputation.
