Sexual Harassment and Title IX Policy in Orthopaedic Surgery

A recent survey found that 68% of women reported experiencing sexual harassment (SH) during their orthopaedic training. This study aims to (1) characterize Title IX understanding; (2) describe SH occurrences, subtypes, and reporting rates; (3) evaluate the impact of Title IX understanding on SH reporting; and (4) compare these findings by level of training.

An anonymous survey was distributed between June 1, 2023, and July 31, 2023, to Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society members. Surgeon demographics, SH experiences through the Racialized Sexual Harassment Scale, and Title IX understanding were assessed. Descriptive and comparative statistics analyzed SH occurrences and reporting. Pearson correlation and Fisher exact tests assessed relationships between Title IX knowledge and SH reporting.

Twenty percent (178 of 891) of Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society members completed the survey. Fifty-one percent (91/178) of orthopaedic surgeons endorsed experiencing SH during their careers, of whom 35% reported. The most common form of SH was "nonphysical" (34.1%). Formal reporting rates varied by SH type, with "watching" (67.0%) and "fear" (39.0%) being the most reported. The median score on the Title IX survey was 81.8%, with 47% knowing the reporting timeframe and 53% knowing who to report to. No significant associations were found between SH incident reporting rate and Title IX understanding (rho = 0.03, P = 0.9). Attending surgeons had significantly higher Racialized Sexual Harassment Scale scores (25.8 vs. 21.1, P = 0.004) and reported more occurrences (1.1 vs. 0.3, P < 0.001) compared with orthopaedic trainees.

Although most orthopaedic surgeons reported experiencing SH and understood Title IX policies, SH reporting rates remained low. Improved understanding of policy is important but may not lead to greater reporting of SH based on this study, suggesting other barriers to reporting.