There are clear ethical and legal reasons why doctors are prohibited from pursuing romantic relationships with their patients. Dating or sexual relationships between physicians and patients jeopardize the integrity of the doctor-patient relationship, take advantage of the vulnerability of patients, and damage public trust in the medical profession. Professional medical organizations, including the American Medical Association and American Psychiatric Association, have established strict ethical guidelines banning doctor-patient dating. Additionally, many states have laws making sexual contact between doctors and their current patients illegal. While ethical arguments against doctor-patient dating are compelling on their own, the threat of losing one’s medical license has proven to be an effective deterrent as well.
What are the ethical concerns about doctors dating patients?
There are several major ethical concerns regarding physicians becoming romantically involved with their patients:
- Conflict of interest – Doctors have a primary duty to promote the wellbeing of their patients. Romantic entanglements create an inherent conflict of interest that may lead physicians to neglect this duty in favor of their own interests.
- Compromised objectivity – Effective medical care requires objective decision-making by physicians. Dating a patient introduces bias that may negatively impact diagnoses, treatment recommendations, prescriptions, etc.
- Power imbalance – There is an inherent power imbalance in the doctor-patient dynamic that makes it difficult for patients to truly consent to romantic relationships with their physicians.
- Patient exploitation – Patients often share intimate details with doctors and are in a vulnerable position. Doctors dating patients may take advantage of this vulnerability in inappropriate ways.
- Damaged public trust – Doctor-patient romantic relationships may lead patients and the public to view physicians as unethical and damage confidence in the medical profession.
Due to these significant ethical concerns, doctor-patient dating is considered unethical by medical professional organizations even when physicians believe relationships are consensual.
What do medical ethics say about doctor-patient dating?
Here are the stances of two major medical professional groups regarding physician-patient dating and sexual relationships:
American Medical Association (AMA)
According to the AMA Code of Medical Ethics:
- “Sexual or romantic relationships between physicians and patients are unethical.”
- “Sexual or romantic relationships between a physician and a former patient may be unduly influenced by the previous physician-patient relationship.”
- “Sexual or romantic relationships with former patients are unethical if the physician uses or exploits trust, knowledge, emotions, or influence derived from the previous professional relationship.”
American Psychiatric Association (APA)
The APA Principles of Medical Ethics With Annotations Especially Applicable to Psychiatry states:
- “Sexual activity with a current or former patient is unethical.”
- “Sexual involvement between a faculty member or supervisor and a trainee or student is unethical.”
- “Sexual relationships between psychologists and their patients, supervisors and trainees are likely to impair judgment or be exploitative.”
These stances clearly prohibit doctors from pursuing romantic/sexual relationships with current patients and place restrictions around relationships with former patients as well.
What laws ban doctor-patient dating?
In addition to ethical bans, many states have laws prohibiting sexual relationships and contact between physicians and patients:
- 41 states have laws criminalizing sexual contact between psychiatrists/psychologists and their patients
- 19 states make it a felony for physicians to have sexual contact with current patients
- Several states prohibit sexual relationships between physicians and former patients for 2-10 years after treatment ends
For example, in California it is a felony for a physician to engage in sexual contact with a patient or to engage in sexual behavior that is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of the medical professional.
Penalties for violation
Potential penalties for physicians convicted of criminal offenses for sexual relationships with patients include:
- Loss of medical license
- Fines up to $10,000
- Imprisonment from 90 days up to several years
Even in states without such laws, physicians may face professional discipline including license suspension or revocation for unethical sexual relationships with patients.
What about relationships with former patients?
Many physicians question whether banning relationships with former patients is ethical, arguing that adults should be free to pursue relationships they desire. However, research shows most doctor-patient sexual contact occurs between physicians and current patients, not former patients. Bans on contact with former patients protect patients from being coerced into premature treatment termination in pursuit of romantic relationships. Guidelines generally recommend physicians only pursue relationships with former patients after substantial time has passed since treatment ended, all financial ties are severed, and acute emotional vulnerability has passed.
Conclusion
It is clear that romantic relationships between physicians and patients are unethical and banned due to concerns about conflict of interest, compromised medical judgment, power imbalances, and exploitation of patient vulnerabilities. Medical ethics prevent such relationships even when they are perceived as consensual. Additionally, many states have laws criminalizing sexual contact between doctors and patients. The threat of losing one’s medical license serves as an added deterrent against unethical doctor-patient dating and protects patients from harm.