Sexual Harassment and Title IX Policy in Orthopaedic Surgery.

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Medical Education
• Workplace Harassment

Background:

• Sexual harassment (SH) is prevalent in orthopaedic training, affecting a significant percentage of women.
• Understanding of Title IX policies and reporting rates for SH in orthopaedics are not well-characterized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess Title IX knowledge among orthopaedic surgeons.
• To describe the occurrence, types, and reporting of SH in orthopaedics.
• To evaluate the relationship between Title IX understanding and SH reporting.
• To compare SH experiences and reporting by training level.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous survey was administered to Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society members.
• The survey assessed demographics, SH experiences using the Racialized Sexual Harassment Scale, and Title IX understanding.
• Descriptive statistics and correlation tests analyzed SH data and its relationship with Title IX knowledge.

Main Results:

• 51% of surveyed orthopaedic surgeons experienced SH, with 35% reporting it.
• Nonphysical SH was most common; reporting rates varied by SH type.
• Title IX knowledge was moderate (median score 81.8%), but reporting timeframe and contact knowledge were limited.
• No significant association was found between Title IX understanding and SH reporting rates.
• Attending surgeons reported more SH occurrences than trainees.

Conclusions:

• Most orthopaedic surgeons understand Title IX policies, yet SH reporting rates are low.
• Increased policy awareness alone may not improve SH reporting, indicating other barriers exist.
• Further research is needed to identify and address barriers to reporting sexual harassment in orthopaedic surgery.