Pap smears or Botox? Cosmetic makeovers and conflicts of interest
Posted by Marcy Darnovsky June 30, 2008
Biopolitical Times
Women showing up for routine gynecological and medical appointments are increasingly being offered Botox, liposuction, breast augmentation, chemical peels, and other cosmetic procedures by their personal physicians. Kathryn Hinsch of the Women's Bioethics Project examines this disturbing trend in a new white paper titled "Do You Tip Your Doc for Botox?"
Why would doctors choose to muddy the integrity of their relationship to their patients by pushing cosmetic makeovers? According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, which itself offers continuing education courses on a variety of cosmetic procedures, "a family practitioner can easily bring in an additional $10,000 to $20,000 a month." As Hinsch points out,
Previously on Biopolitical Times:
Why would doctors choose to muddy the integrity of their relationship to their patients by pushing cosmetic makeovers? According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, which itself offers continuing education courses on a variety of cosmetic procedures, "a family practitioner can easily bring in an additional $10,000 to $20,000 a month." As Hinsch points out,
Adding cosmetic procedures might be a ready remedy for a physician's salary boost, but the potential ethical issues it raises are alarming: conflict of interest, exploitation of patient trust, and demeaning the practice of medicine to name just a few.
Previously on Biopolitical Times:
