Abstract
Sexual and therapeutic relationships cannot coexist. Attempts to mix them harm patients and professionals. Notorious cases of sexual exploitation of patients by health-care providers have contributed substantially to the deteriorating public image of medicine, with implications for government funding and private trust. Finally, centuries of denial and suppression are giving way to scientific injury, patient advocacy, and education. A great deal has been learned about the incidence, etiology, and implications of sexual interactions with patients. Women patients are most affected and, therefore, it is particularly critical that women's health-care providers be informed about prevailing ethical codes and laws, and about the recognition and handling of danger signs and enacted transgressions
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