Consented
Zed Zha, M. D.
Zed Zha, M. D.
A physician’s bold critique of medical rape culture—and her call for a new model of care that centers consent and empowers patientsMedical culture has a problem with consent—and it’s not just a few bad doctors. That’s the conclusion of Dr. Zed Zha in Consented, a groundbreaking look at how the healthcare industry ignores patients’ agency and perpetuates violence.Even the best and most caring doctors can fall prey to what Dr. Zha identifies as medical rape culture: a system of beliefs and practices that enable and normalize the violation of patients’ autonomy. Dr. Zha shows how this culture is historically entrenched—from the invention of the speculum to eugenics—and argues that we need a sea change in our healthcare system to stop repeating the same mistakes. She interlaces these hidden histories of medicine with first-hand patient stories and her own personal journey, identifying four key problems...
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