Felt violated at Hälsocentralen: Reporting an OBGYN

Hello. I am an Asian woman in my 30s.

I moved to Sweden this year and recently had an HPV test at Hälsocentralen.

The test was performed by a male doctor in his 50s. (I don’t know his exact title, but I’ll refer to him as a doctor for now.)

During the test, I noticed a few things that made me uncomfortable. For instance, the test took longer than usual (this wasn’t my first time having it done). And he frequently checked my face while taking the sample. Additionally, I could feel his breath on my genital area as he sighed after sampling, which felt unsettling.

While these observations might be considered circumstantial, what happened afterward is more concerning. Once the test was over and I was still sitting on the chair without my bottoms, with my legs spread, he touched my thigh. When I tried to get down from the chair, he stood in front of me and asked me to "wait" on my chair until it was lowered further, but the chair was already low enough—about 10 cm from the ground. Later, after I had gotten dressed, he repeatedly rubbed my arms.

Just for context, this isn’t my first time seeing a male OBGYN. I've lived in four different countries and have seen several OBGYN (both male and female), but I've never experienced a single doctor touching other parts of my body in this way. Based on the reviews I found on Google, I suspect he may behave this way specifically toward foreign women.

I called and reported the incident to the police, but the officer I spoke with seemed a little reluctant. She suggested I also consider reporting it to the IVO (Health and Social Care Inspectorate).

What I want is to properly report him so that situations like this don’t happen again to anyone else.

I'm unsure of the best way to proceed. Should I report this to IVO and wait to see what happens? Or would it be better to confront him directly, or is there a more effective way to resolve this situation?

Thank you.

update;

I didn’t expect to receive so many replies. Thank you all!

One thing I want to emphasize again is that he touched my thigh after the test was over. I don’t understand why some people think he held my thigh during the test—he didn’t. The touching happened after everything was finished, and this behavior raised valid concerns for me about his other actions. If he hadn’t touched my thigh, I probably wouldn’t have felt the need to question his behavior at all.

Oh, also the chair thing. Yes, he asked me to wait before the chair was fully lowered. While that is valid, I forgot to mention that he stood in front of me, looking directly at my private area the entire time.

And for those who call me oversensitive or crazy:

Sorry, but you’re the ones who have fallen for the predator’s scheme.

Sexual harassment isn’t always overt; it often occurs on the borderline, making victims question themselves. This behavior is designed to keep us questioning our own experiences and feelings, leading us to believe we’re the ones being overly sensitive. When we finally speak up, we’re often labeled as overly sensitive or even crazy, when in reality, we’re just trying to bring attention to the harmful behaviors that many choose to ignore.

I’ve moved well beyond that point of questioning myself in my life now.

So I also want to thank those who call me oversensitive or crazy. This reaction highlights the challenges that victims have always faced and will continue to fight against. I hope that anyone who reads this post in the future does not second-guess themselves.

I sincerely thank you again for your support and advice!

update;

I was not going to write or edit more, but after reading the messages I received, I realized that I might have left a room for a huge misunderstanding.

To clarify, I mentioned that he touched my thigh AFTER the test was over. So when he touched my thigh, he was standing while I was still seated, so he touched the front of my thigh—an area completely unrelated to the test. It wasn't my inner or back thigh, making it clear that this was a case of sexual misconduct.

final update;

So typical. Is it my fault again that I left out the part where he touched my thigh? I initially stated, 'After the HPV test, he touched my thigh.' It was not enough? Should I have justified and validated my experience further to get advice on how to report him? At what point in my statement do you feel justified in sending me abusive messages?

I made it clear from the beginning: it was an HPV test, not just a general gynecological exam, nor was I giving birth. When is it deemed necessary to touch any part of the thigh during an HPV test?

To those who attack me: Do you even know how an HPV test is performed on women? Do you want to know? Before trying to understand what the victim has really gone through, you first have to convince yourself that the victim is imagining it.

My HPV test somehow gets twisted into a general gynecological exam. And I, the sexual victim, become the woman who supposedly threatens the career of a male OBGYN. Meanwhile, the sexual predator becomes the hardworking doctor who was just trying to comfort his patient.

Even if it had been a general gynecological exam, unnecessary touching without consent wouldn't be justified. But in my case, there’s no room for debate.

I was sexually assaulted at Hälsocentralen by an OBGYN. Period.

I think this whole situation is like a miniature version of the reality faced by sexual victims—where the victim seeks advice but is met with criticism, doubt, and abuse. And the victims first have to convince those who rush to judge rather than take the time to understand their experience.

But still, many people have supported me, and I sincerely thank you all for that. For those who are or have had similar experiences, I hope you don’t let these abusive comments hurt you. Regardless of the negativity, this post has received a very high upvote rate of about 79%. There are people out there who genuinely care.

Lastly, stop sending me abusive messages. If you want to, just leave it in the comments so that everyone can see it.

And of course, I am filing a report against him.

Again, I sincerely thank you all.