False Allegations of Pregnancy Resulting From Incestuous Rape and Physician Misconduct: Proof Positive

The veracity of adult allegations of remote childhood sexual abuse have been the focus of intense debate fuelled by the controversy over both repressed and false memory syndromes. Likewise, increased awareness of physician misconduct in recent years has mandated numerous policy statements and task force guidelines to protect patients.

A 23-year-old woman alleged that she had suffered incestuous rape at age 12 years, resulting in pregnancy. She named a physician who she claimed had performed an illegal pregnancy termination. Subsequent evaluations revealed that she had uterovaginal agenesis.

Neither sexual abuse nor physician misconduct should be tolerated, and all such allegations deserve thorough and expeditious investigation. However, we must remain cognizant that any such allegation may be false and have devastating consequences for the unjustly accused.