When we are under anesthesia, we are at our most vulnerable. We trust the medical system to treat us with dignity and respect. Yet in Michigan, that trust is still being broken—because there is no law requiring informed consent for pelvic, vaginal, rectal, or prostate exams performed under anesthesia.

That means medical students can legally perform intimate exams on unconscious patients without ever asking for permission.

This practice is not rare. A survey by ELLE Magazine found that 92% of medical students had performed pelvic exams on anesthetized patients, and more than half did so without explicit consent. Experts estimate that millions of Americans may have undergone such exams in recent years, without ever knowing it happened.

This is a profound violation of bodily autonomy and a breach of patient trust—especially for survivors of sexual trauma, who are at risk of being retraumatized by an invasive exam they never agreed to. Black patients are also disproportionately subjected to these exams, worsening already deep-rooted mistrust in the medical system due to historical abuse.

Michigan lawmakers have a chance to fix this. Senate Bills 475 and 476 would require written, informed consent for intimate exams under anesthesia, except in true emergencies. This bipartisan effort reflects the clear moral consensus: no one should be touched without their permission—especially not while unconscious.

Despite widespread public and professional support, previous versions of these bills have stalled. We cannot let that happen again. Michigan should join 26 other states in making consent a legal requirement—not just a hospital policy.

We call on the Michigan Senate’s Health Policy and Human Services Committee to immediately take up SB 475 and 476, and for the full Legislature to pass these bills without delay. Our bodies deserve protection. Our consent must be the standard.