Sexual harassment remains high in ophthalmology

A study conducted at major ophthalmology departments across the US found that the rates of sexual harassment in the specialty, which were high when a previous survey was conducted, remained high 5 years after those high rates were disclosed, with higher frequencies of recent experiences and continued low reporting rates,¹ according to Olivia J. Killeen, MD, MS, and colleagues. She is from the Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University, Durham, NC, and the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Killeen was joined in this study by colleagues from the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Seattle; the Department of Pediatrics, Duke University; the Department of Ophthalmology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York; and the Division of Ophthalmology, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle.

The investigators had a dual goal: to compare the rates and characteristics of sexual harassment in ophthalmology reported in 2018 to those described in 2023 and to investigate the rates of gender discrimination among the 2023 respondents. They conducted a cross-sectional, observational survey study using Google Forms through the Women in Ophthalmology email blast list from August 25 to September 25, 2023. The main study outcomes were the rates of sexual harassment, number of occurrences during the past 5 years, and gender discrimination, they recounted.

Survey results

Killeen and colleagues reported that 1,051 emails containing the survey were sent; of the 692 (65.8%) that were opened, 289 were eligible participants who responded, for a response rate of 27.5% of the emails initially send. Almost 40% of participants were from 31 to 40 years of age.

“Of the 289 survey respondents in 2023, 172 (59.5%) experienced sexual harassment in ophthalmology compared with 265 of 447 (59.3%) surveyed in 2018 (difference, 0.2%; 95% confidence interval, −7.0% to 7.5%; P = 0.95).

More respondents in 2023 experienced sexual harassment compared with 2018, ie, 62.2% versus 47.2% (P < 0.001). The investigators also found that in 2023, 24.1% reported their most severe experience to an authority compared with 15.1% in 2018 (P = 0.02). Of 287 survey respondents in 2023, 85.0% experienced gender discrimination.

In commenting on their findings, the authors said, “In this survey study, the rates of sexual harassment among respondents remained high 5 years after a survey on sexual harassment in ophthalmology, with a higher frequency of recent experiences and continued low reporting rates. With other forms of gender discrimination also highly prevalent among respondents, these results support pursuit of validated strategies to foster a culture of zero tolerance toward harassment and discrimination.”

Reference

1. Killeen OJ, Ding L, Enyedi L, Sun G, Cabrera MT. Sexual harassment in ophthalmology. JAMA Ophthalmol. Published online February 20, 2025. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2024.6489

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