Exposed: The Hidden History of the Pelvic Exam

Abstract

Presentation slides for lecture delivered by Wendy Kline, PhD (Dema G. Seelye Chair in the History of Medicine and Director of Medical Humanities Program, Purdue University) on February 20, 2024. Ever since the introduction of the pelvic exam as a gynecological procedure in the late nineteenth century, consumers and doctors have struggled to define the boundaries between preventive health and sexual impropriety. This talk suggests that the pelvic exam is more than just a medical procedure; it is a window into a deeper, more meaningful set of questions about gender, medicine, and power. From gynecological research on enslaved women’s bodies to practice on anesthetized patients, the pelvic exam as we know it today carries the burden of its history. By looking through that window, we can begin to understand why the pelvic exam remains both mysterious and contentious. Presentation recording available online: https://purl.dlib.indiana.edu/iudl/media/m80h83t87d