French Gynecologist Suspended For Refusing To Treat Trans-Identifying Male Patient

A gynecologist in France has been banned from practicing medicine for a month because he refused to treat a male patient who identified as a woman.

Dr. Victor Acharian was accused of transphobia after he turned the patient away in August 2023 on the grounds that his gynecology practice only treats "real women."

He was forced to appear before a disciplinary board of the French Medical Council in December and has now been suspended for a month beginning on March 1. Acharian will face an additional five months’ probation after his suspension.

Transgender activist group SOS Homophobie (yes, that's real) said Acharian should face criminal sanctions as well, claiming transgender individuals often face discrimination when seeking healthcare. The 26-year-old patient described the encounter with Acharian as "hyper-violent."

"I was in shock," the patient said. "It was the first time I had suffered this sort of transphobia."

Acharian, though, tells a different story. The doctor said the patient screamed, "You’re transphobic" and insulted his secretary before leaving the clinic. He also noted that the patient in question was a fully intact male who had not had gender reassignment surgery; therefore, gynecological care would not have been appropriate.

"I was only trying to be honest when I said it wasn’t my specialty, and I wasn’t competent," Acharian said. "I offered to refer her to services that could take better care of her."

The same response you might (rightfully) get if you sought the help of an eye doctor to help fix your toothache.

The patient’s boyfriend left a Google review complaining about Acharian’s refusal, and the doctor responded with a message addressed to a "gentleman," saying that he only treated "real women."

"I have no skills to take care of men, even if they have shaved their beards, and they come and tell my secretary that they have become women," Acharian wrote. "My gynaecological examination table is not suitable for examining men."

RELATED: Canadian Doctor Suspended For Telling Patient She Can't Turn Into A Man

Acharian later apologized for his response on Google, saying, "I reacted spontaneously, out of anger, as I felt I was being attacked unfairly."

Acharian, who practices in southwestern France, has the right to appeal against the suspension, but he has not yet decided whether to do so.

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Amber is a Midwestern transplant living in Murfreesboro, TN. She spends most of her time taking pictures of her dog, explaining why real-life situations are exactly like "this one time on South Park," and being disappointed by the Tennessee Volunteers.