Dear editor
I would like to bring to your attention an unhealthy trend that I
sometimes find very sickening. I am increasingly witnessing that
sometimes some presenters/speakers use full or half naked images to create
some humour in their presentations at medical meetings/conferences.I have
lived in Britain and Ireland for the last 20 years but unfortunately this
phenomenon seems to be on the increase in recent times. For example,
recently I attended an anaesthetic meeting where one speaker showed a
picture of many people in their birthday suits. And another speaker
showed a naked lady in chest-knee position on a beach in order to get his
message across in a funny and dramatic way. one of the recent issues of
the BMJ has pictured a young lady with no trousers alongside an editorial"
Depression in adolescents"(1). Interestingly the back cover of the same
issue also shows a picture of a young, almost naked lady in an
advertisement of an antidepressant drug,Invega, by a pharmaceutical
company JANSENN-CILAG Ltd. As Britain is a multi-cultural, multi-
religious society some people might find these pictures quite offensive.
Sometimes I wonder whether this increasing nakedness all around us has
anything to do with mental illnesses in our modern times? I have read
through the guidance booklet "Good Medical Practice" by the General
Medical Council that advises doctors to conduct themselves and communicate
in a decent, professional way(2). The GMC also emphasises the
significance of high standards of medical ethics in its "Vision
Statement"(3). Undoubtedly, there are many ways to create humour in our
presentations without using any indecent images. I would like to request
all healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical companies to present or
advertise, whatever you wish, but please in a dignified, civilised way.
Moreover being honourable medical professionals we should leave good
traditions for our future generations.
Yours faithfully,
Dr M. Siddiq
associate specialist anaesthetist
Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds LS1 3EX msiddiq1@hotmail.com
1.BMJ 2007;335:106-107.(21 July.)
2.Good Medical Practice: November, 2006 by the General Medical Council
3.The GMCtoday: May,2007
Rapid Response:
Is nudity essential in medicine?
Dear editor
I would like to bring to your attention an unhealthy trend that I
sometimes find very sickening. I am increasingly witnessing that
sometimes some presenters/speakers use full or half naked images to create
some humour in their presentations at medical meetings/conferences.I have
lived in Britain and Ireland for the last 20 years but unfortunately this
phenomenon seems to be on the increase in recent times. For example,
recently I attended an anaesthetic meeting where one speaker showed a
picture of many people in their birthday suits. And another speaker
showed a naked lady in chest-knee position on a beach in order to get his
message across in a funny and dramatic way. one of the recent issues of
the BMJ has pictured a young lady with no trousers alongside an editorial"
Depression in adolescents"(1). Interestingly the back cover of the same
issue also shows a picture of a young, almost naked lady in an
advertisement of an antidepressant drug,Invega, by a pharmaceutical
company JANSENN-CILAG Ltd. As Britain is a multi-cultural, multi-
religious society some people might find these pictures quite offensive.
Sometimes I wonder whether this increasing nakedness all around us has
anything to do with mental illnesses in our modern times? I have read
through the guidance booklet "Good Medical Practice" by the General
Medical Council that advises doctors to conduct themselves and communicate
in a decent, professional way(2). The GMC also emphasises the
significance of high standards of medical ethics in its "Vision
Statement"(3). Undoubtedly, there are many ways to create humour in our
presentations without using any indecent images. I would like to request
all healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical companies to present or
advertise, whatever you wish, but please in a dignified, civilised way.
Moreover being honourable medical professionals we should leave good
traditions for our future generations.
Yours faithfully,
Dr M. Siddiq
associate specialist anaesthetist
Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds LS1 3EX
msiddiq1@hotmail.com
1.BMJ 2007;335:106-107.(21 July.)
2.Good Medical Practice: November, 2006 by the General Medical Council
3.The GMCtoday: May,2007
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests