When Professional Organizations Fail to Protect: Why ACOG, AMA, and ACP Still Will Not Say “Require” for Chaperones

A critical look at soft guidance, real risks, and the ethics of inconsistent standards

A chaperone is a trained staff member who stays in the room during breast, genital, or rectal examinations. Chaperones protect the patient, protect the clinician, and create transparency and trust during the most vulnerable parts of medical care.

The concept of requiring a chaperone should be simple. The benefits are clear. Yet major professional organi…