Students sue Valencia College over vaginal ultrasound training

TWO American students are suing their colleges for allegedly forcing them to undergo vaginal probes as part of a medical class.

The two women, who enrolled in the medical diagnostic sonography program offered by Florida’s Valencia State College, have filed a lawsuit against the institution and three instructors after saying they were threatened with lower grades and future denied career opportunities if they did not participate in the intrusive examinations.

According to the lawsuit, the two students say they were forced to perform the probes on each other as practice during the ultrasound class.

Lawyer Christopher Dillingham said that during orientation, the students were told the “vaginal ultrasounds” were “positioned as voluntary”.

“However, as time went on, it became clear they were anything but.”

According to Orlando’s Wesh 2 News, Mr Dillingham said that his clients had “suffered significant psychological damage” when being probed by other students — even though there were other anatomically correct simulators on which they could practice.

In the lawsuits, the students said they were told by a second-year student that “students should undergo invasive transvaginal ultrasound procedures in order to become better sonography technicians,” the Washington Post reported.

A transvaginal ultrasound is a procedure which involves inserting a probe into a vagina to check for pregnancy, fertility or other reproductive issues. The probe is first covered with a condom, suitably lubricated and then inserted.

In some cases, the women claimed, students would have to sexually stimulate each other to help insert the probe smoothly.

“In some cases, the student would have to sexually ‘stimulate’ plaintiffs in order to facilitate inserting the probe into plaintiffs’ vaginas. Plaintiffs experienced discomfort and embarrassment each time they had to endure this forced probing of their sexual organs,” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit also questioned the ethics of probing women who had not had sexual intercourse.

The two students also expressed conce that a male student would also “probe [them] ... on a regular basis”.

The school has replied that it was “accepted practice” to use students as practice in the ultrasound training programs, but highlighted that participation was voluntary.

According to NBC News, the college has not yet been served with the lawsuit, and was thus unable to comment on the specific case.

A Valencia College spokesman did admit, however, to a review of the current ultrasound training practice.

““The use of volunteers — including fellow students — for medical sonography training is a nationally accepted practice. Valencia’s sonography program has upheld the highest standards with respect to ultrasound scanning for educational purposes, including voluntary participation and professional supervision by faculty in a controlled laboratory setting,” the college said in a statement.

“Nonetheless, we continue to review this practice and others to ensure that they are effective and appropriate for the leaing environment.”