Worldwide, Doctors Report Harassment — and Inaction

María Jimena Medina Palomino, a young psychiatrist, began to be sexually harassed by a superior shortly after starting work at the Neiva University Hospital, Columbia, in mid-2024. Since then, she has been, in her words, “immersed in a series of harassment incidents by the aforementioned man, where multiple calls are made, during and outside working hours, WhatsApp messages she still struggles to comprehend, and invitations that turned into obligations to meet him in his hotel room, restaurants, and remote locations away from the hospital,” as she reported last February to La Nación, a Neiva-based newspaper.

Faced with her refusal to pursue a relationship, Medina reported facing retaliation: “He ordered the nursing staff to ignore my medical orders, which resulted in a patient in psychomotor agitation hitting me; no one intervened, except the physician rotating with me.” Her mental health deteriorated, and she ultimately felt forced to resign and seek a new position.

“Now is the time to speak up. I will not allow myself to be mistreated,” Medina declared on social media.

Medina’s case is one of many reflecting the emotional and professional toll of workplace sexual harassment among physicians in Latin America. A widespread issue globally, it varies in prevalence across regions.

Recent surveys by Medscape’s Spanish and Portuguese editions, involving nearly 2500 professionals from Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil — most older than 45 years — found that up to 1 in 5 respondents had witnessed sexual abuse, harassment, or inappropriate conduct in the workplace within the past 3 years. Up to 1 in 10 had experienced it directly. Yet very few of these incidents are reported, and institutional policies are widely viewed as inadequate.

Below is a summary of the main findings and a comparison with similar survey data from Medscape conducted in six European countries (Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Portugal, and the United Kingdom), as well as Canada and the United States.

Cultural Context

Among the professionals surveyed, 5% in Argentina, 8% in Brazil, and 8% in Mexico reported having experienced sexual abuse, sexual harassment, or inappropriate conduct in the workplace within the past 3 years — a figure comparable to that reported by their European colleagues (9% in the United Kingdom; 6% in France; 5% in Spain; Germany, and Italy; and 3% in Portugal) and their North American counterparts (9% in both the United States and Canada).

As for the mechanisms of harassment, unwanted messages or emails with sexual content were the most frequently reported form in Brazil (27%), compared with approximately 20% in Mexico, Europe, Canada, and the United States, and just 9% in Argentina.

Mexico stands out as the country where the highest proportion of professionals who experienced harassment reported receiving sexual comments about their bodies (64%). This is slightly higher than the rates in Portugal, Germany, and the United States (60%), and above the 40%-50% range seen in other countries.

Mexico also reported the highest rate of self-groping by the harasser in front of the victim (8%) and quid pro quo offers — promotions, raises, or other benefits in exchange for sexual favors — at 15% vs 12% in Argentina and around 6% in Brazil, Canada, the United States, and European countries.

Invasion of personal space is a widespread behavior in Latin America: Nearly 6 in 10 professionals in Argentina and Mexico who experienced harassment in the past 3 years reported this behavior. In Brazil and the United States, the figure was closer to 50%, whereas in Canada and European countries, it ranged from 30% to 40% — with the exception of Germany, where it reached nearly 80%.

Groping, patting, hugging, and other unwanted physical contact were most commonly reported in Argentina (64%), Germany (nearly 80%), and Spain (over 60%). In contrast, rates were lower in Brazil and Mexico (under 50%). Argentina also had the highest rate of body touching (21%), surpassed only by Portugal (over 30%). In Brazil, Mexico, Canada, the United States, and most other European countries, the rate remained around 10%.

Witnessed Incidents

When respondents were asked whether they had witnessed acts of sexual harassment, abuse, or inappropriate conduct in the workplace over the past 3 years, Mexico had the highest proportion of professionals answering affirmatively (22%), followed by the United States (18%), Germany (14%), Brazil (13%), and France (12%).

In Latin America, one of the most frequently reported forms of harassment — compared with other regions — is the receipt of unwanted messages or emails with sexual content. This may indicate either a higher prevalence of the behavior or a greater willingness among victims to share such experiences with colleagues. Brazil reported the highest rate (27%), followed by Mexico (24%), Argentina (22%), and the United States (21%). Canada and European countries followed closely, with rates around 15%.

Sexual comments about the body were also common: 64% of professionals in Argentina reported witnessing or experiencing this behavior, a figure comparable to Italy and France. Germany led this category at approximately 70%, followed by Mexico (58%), the United States (55%), and Brazil (47%).

Of the three Latin American countries surveyed, Mexico had the highest rate of repeated unwelcome invitations or excessive attention (43%), followed by Brazil (39%) and Argentina (30%). In comparison, this behavior was reported in approximately 30% of cases in Spain and France.

In Mexico and Argentina, offers of professional benefits in exchange for sexual favors were reported more frequently — 15% and 12% of all witnessed harassment cases, respectively — compared with 6%-8% in Brazil, Canada, the United States, and European countries.

These two countries also had higher reported rates of intentional invasion of personal space — 66% in Argentina and 60% in Mexico — while the figure was under 50% in Brazil, Canada, and the United States. Similarly, groping, patting, hugging, or other unwanted physical contact was reported by 64% in Argentina and 53% in Mexico vs 46% in Brazil, 35% in Canada, and 29% in the United States.

Emotional and Professional Impact

For 73% of professionals in Argentina and 62% in Mexico, the experience of harassment or inappropriate sexual conduct was described as “very bothersome.” This rating was shared by 31%-56% of respondents in European countries, and by fewer than one third of professionals in Brazil and Canada.

Approximately 1 in 5 physicians in Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico reported that such experiences interfered “to a significant degree” (a rating of 5 on a 1-to-5 scale) with their ability to work. At the other end of the spectrum, Brazilian professionals appeared more resilient: One third reported that harassment or inappropriate behavior had no impact on their work performance — compared with less than a quarter in Mexico and under 5% in Argentina who said the same.

The psychological and behavioral repercussions varied. About 20% of doctors in Argentina and Brazil reported difficulty concentrating afterward vs 13% in Mexico; 2 in 10 professionals in Brazil said they paid less attention to colleagues following the incident — 50% more than in Argentina (15%) and over twice the rate in Mexico (9%). Nearly 30% of respondents in Mexico said they chose to isolate themselves socially afterward vs 25% in Argentina and Brazil.

When asked if they had considered quitting their jobs, around 15% in Argentina and Brazil, and 19% in Mexico said yes. In terms of those who actually did resign, the rates were 15% in Mexico, 12% in Argentina, and just 3% in Brazil. Interestingly, these figures were higher in some European countries: 23% in France, 22% in the United Kingdom, and 20% in Germany — perhaps reflecting greater confidence in securing new employment with similar or better compensation.

Experiences of harassment also led to increased consumption of legal substances or unhealthy foods in some cases, though the proportion reporting this behavior never exceeded 10%. Among Latin American countries, Brazil led for increased alcohol use (7%), Argentina for tobacco use (6%), and both Brazil and Mexico for increased consumption of junk food (8%).

Profile of Harassers

The majority of sexual harassment perpetrators are men, though the proportion varies: 85% in Argentina, 80% in Brazil, and 74% in Mexico. In comparison, 80% of perpetrators in Spain were men and 67% in Canada.

In Argentina, nearly 70% of those accused of sexual assault were physicians — a proportion similar to that reported in France, the United Kingdom, and Spain, but higher than in Mexico (58%) and Brazil (46%).

Half the perpetrators held a higher-ranking position in Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, and Canada. In contrast, in the United States, this figure dropped to 35%, possibly reflecting stricter sanctions or enforcement mechanisms.

Regarding location, 40% of assaults in Brazil and Argentina were committed by a single individual, whereas in Mexico, half were perpetrated by two or three individuals. In Brazil, operating rooms and emergency rooms were the setting in 22% and 20% of reported cases, respectively. In comparison, these figures were 14% and 6% in Mexico, and 6% and 20% in Argentina. In Argentina and Mexico, a quarter of cases occurred in administrative areas not accessible to patients. In European countries, only 1 in 10 cases occurred in these so-called “protected” environments.

In Latin America and elsewhere, a high proportion of perpetrators are never reported. According to the surveys, 78% of victims in Brazil did not file a complaint. This was also the case for 60% of victims in Argentina and Mexico, 57% in the United States, and 33% in Canada. In Europe, between 49% and 71% of victims did not report the perpetrator.

Fear of retaliation from the organization or management was cited as the primary reason for not reporting by 33% of victims in Brazil, 25% in Mexico, and 16% in Argentina. Fear of being perceived as exaggerating the issue was also common — reported by half of victims in Argentina, and just over a third in Brazil and Mexico. Other barriers included fear of not being believed (21% in Argentina, 26% in Brazil, and 30% in Mexico); a belief that nothing would be done (50% in Brazil, 42% in Mexico, and 26% in Argentina); and lack of knowledge about reporting procedures (21% in Argentina, and around 10% in Mexico and Brazil).

Given these circumstances, it is perhaps unsurprising that only a minority of perpetrators faced consequences. Dismissal, the most serious disciplinary action, was reported in just 10% of cases in Argentina and Brazil, and in only 3% in Mexico.

Lastly, in all three Latin American countries, around 15% of physicians believe that colleagues with higher incomes are more likely to avoid consequences for sexual misconduct.

Advances by Patients

Surveys also reveal varying rates of sexual advances or harassment committed by patients over the past 3 years: 15% of professionals in Brazil reported such experiences vs around 8% in Argentina and Mexico.

How did healthcare professionals respond? In Mexico, more than half said they directly rejected the behavior by saying “no” or asking the patient to stop vs 50% in Argentina and 41% in Brazil. In the United States, 73% of professionals explicitly voiced their refusal. Others reported responding with alternative strategies, such as ignoring the behavior or ensuring a colleague was present during patient care.

Regarding institutional training, 6 out of 10 professionals in Mexico reported that their workplaces do not offer mandatory training on sexual harassment. The figure is even higher in Argentina (79%) and Brazil (87%). Similar dissatisfaction was noted in parts of Europe, where approximately 90% of respondents in France, Germany, and Italy reported a lack of mandatory training.

While about half of professionals in the region believe their institutions are starting to take sexual harassment more seriously, confidence in the investigative process remains low: Only 41% in Argentina, 42% in Mexico, and 21% in Brazil trust that those handling workplace investigations are properly trained and competent.

Editorial Note: All survey findings are based on unweighted data collected from a random sample of Medscape and Medscape Professional Network members and are not necessarily generalizable to the broader population.

This story was translated from Medscape’s Spanish edition using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.