Chaperones: protecting the patient or protecting the doctor?

The routine use of chaperones during medical examinations, including intimate examinations, is variable. Practice varies between countries and also within them. Use of a chaperone may protect patients from sexual abuse by medical or nursing practitioners. An appropriate chaperone may also protect healthcare practitioners from false accusations. This article considers issues surrounding the use of chaperones and suggests a chaperoning policy for sexual health clinics, while acknowledging that it may not be appropriate or acceptable to all patients or medical staff, or for different parts of the world.