Every medical patient has a legal right to confidentiality in the medical world.
If a worker breaks that, there are serious consequences.
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So after one clinic receptionist ratted a patient’s pregnancy to her mom, she was ready to report her.
There was only one thing standing in her way: the receptionist is a family friend…
This pregnant woman took her dilemma to the “Am I The Asshole” (AITA) community on Reddit.
She began by explaining that she’s a 20-year-old who recently found out she’s pregnant. It’s a surprise to her since she’s on birth control.
In order to confirm the pregnancy, she made an appointment with a highly-rated OBGYN.
But she was immediately concerned when she walked into the office and saw who was sitting behind the front desk.
It was her mom’s old friend.
“They’re not super close, I hadn’t seen her in years, but they’ve known each other since high school and I know they sort of keep in touch,” the Redditor wrote.
Since she didn’t feel ready to anyone in her family the news, she was freaking out.
The only person she wanted to know was her boyfriend. “But my bf assured me that she wouldn’t be able to say anything to my mom about the baby without my consent,” she wrote.
Her worst fear came true when she got home.
Her mother found out she was pregnant. “Apparently her friend had texted to congratulate her before I could even make it home,” she shared.
Thankfully, her mother was supportive about the news but she shuddered to think of what could have happened.
“If she had opened her big mouth to someone with a different kind of family, the outcome could have been really bad,” she wrote.
Since she’s upset over this breach of confidentiality, she wants to report the lady to the lady’s boss, the OBGYN.
But since this is a family friend, she’s conflicted.
“My bf agrees with me but thinks it’s kinda Karen-ish, on the other hand, my mom thinks her friend crossed a few lines,” she shared.
Her mom also thinks that reporting the friend and putting her employment at risk would be petty and rude.
“I think mom’s friend is an asshole, and a potentially dangerous one at that,” she shared.
With such a heavy conflict, she turned to Reddit to determine if she would be in the wrong for reporting the family friend. They swiftly backed up her decision to report the receptionist.
Many wrote that it’s a HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) violation, which is when a medical worker breaches a patient’s confidentiality.
“You should sue this person and the medical clinic you went to. She/ they carry insurance and insurance will pay out for this 100%,” one wrote. “Do it for yourself and for all the other patients who could be hurt by her carelessness,” another shared.
She was called a joy thief for robbing the Redditor of sharing her pregnancy in her own way and time.
People wondered how many other pregnancy announcements this woman has ruined.
Blabbing her mouth even puts women at risk, another pointed out. “Some women get beaten or hurt because of pregnancy results.”
“What if OP didn’t want to keep it and therefore didn’t want to tell anyone she was pregnant at all?” this Redditor questioned.
With so many lines crossed and Reddit backing her, the original poster shared an update that she had reported the lady to the OBGYN.
“I explained the situation, she thanked me for telling her and said that they take matters like this very seriously and will be looking into it immediately,” she shared.
“I doubt they’ll let me know what happens but if I do hear anything I’ll update again. Thanks so much, everyone!”
