Radiologists describe their experiences with sexual harassment in the workplace and call for change
Female radiologists did not hold back when describing their experiences with sexual harassment and discrimination in a new report published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
The authors of “You Too? Female Radiologists’ Narratives on Discrimination and Harassment” noted Monday that one way to diminish the presence of prejudice and chauvinism in the workplace is to hear the victims describe their experiences in their own words. So they did just that, gathering personal stories via an anonymous online survey.
“Narratives of sexual harassment and gender discrimination can be powerful tools for advocacy and education,” Nadja Kadom, MD, associate professor at Emory University Hospital, and co-authors wrote.
The narratives were written by 575 anonymous female radiologists while participating in a survey of nine free-text questions. Respondents detailed their own personal examples of dealing with sexual harassment, discrimination and subsequent actions taken.
The accounts range from “heavy flirting,” to inappropriate touching, stalking and even date rape. Some reported retaliatory actions against them after denying the sexual advances of superiors; some left jobs due to the constant come-ons; and many purposely wore loose clothing to hide their figure and avoid inappropriate comments about their body.
The perpetrators held far-ranging positions—department superiors, program directors, techs, surgical staff, co-residents, patients and even deans. Some women described feeling discriminated against by their female superiors.
Many admitted to never reporting their harassment due to fear of repercussions, citing anxiety about the affect it could have on their career. “We are taught not to burn bridges, that the radiology community is so small. I did not want to hurt my chances of getting a job in the future so I ignored it,” one victim wrote.
In many cases, discriminatory effects were felt as early as residency interviews, when some were questioned about plans to have children. One woman reported being told to “think about the consequences of going away” when discussing possible parental leave.
Women commonly reported having to work harder than their male counterparts to get the same training and opportunities, with some claiming that male residents would spend their time flirting with them, rather than teaching. Others said they were always assigned pediatric and OB rotations, regardless of their subspecialty.
The authors hope these narratives, despite being uncomfortable, will aid in furthering the discussions necessary to incite meaningful changes for women in the field of radiology.
You can read the full statements in JACR.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.