<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".03" citation="COMAR 10.32.17.03" title_num="10" subtitle_num="32" chapter_num="17" heading="Sexual Misconduct.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>Health care practitioners may not engage in sexual misconduct.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>Health Occupations Article, §§14-404(a)(3), 14-5A-17(a)(3), 14-5B-14(a)(3), 14-5C-17(a)(3), 14-5D-14(a)(3), 14-5E-16(a)(3), 14-5F-18(a)(19), and 15-314(a)(3), Annotated Code of Maryland, includes, but is not limited to, sexual misconduct.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="C.">
    <text>Sexual misconduct includes, but is not limited to:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Engaging in sexual harassment of a patient, key third party, employee, student, or coworker regardless of whether the sexual harassment occurs inside or outside of a professional setting;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Failing to provide privacy for disrobing;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Performing a pelvic or rectal examination without the use of gloves;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Discussing the health care practitioner’s sexual problems, sexual likes or dislikes, or fantasies;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>Using the health care practitioner-patient relationship to initiate or solicit a dating, romantic, or sexual relationship;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(6)">
      <text>Engaging in a dating, romantic, or sexual relationship which violates §D of this regulation or the code of ethics of the American Medical Association, American Osteopathic Association, American Psychiatric Association, or other professional code of ethics;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(7)">
      <text>Participating in any form of sexual contact with a patient or key third party;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(8)">
      <text>Having nonconsensual sexual contact with a coworker or employee;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(9)">
      <text>Causing a patient or key third party to touch the health care practitioner’s breasts, genitals, or any sexualized body part;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(10)">
      <text>Encouraging a patient or key third party to masturbate in the presence of the health care practitioner or masturbation by the health care practitioner while a patient or key third party is present;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(11)">
      <text>Offering to provide practice-related services in exchange for sexual favors; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(12)">
      <text>Exposing the health care practitioner’s breasts, genitals, or any sexualized body part.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="D.">
    <text>Sexual or Romantic Relationships. A health care practitioner may not engage in sexual behavior with:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>A current patient;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>A key third party if the key third party’s decisions directly affect the health and welfare of the patient or if the relationship could otherwise compromise the patient’s care based on the following considerations, which include, but are not limited to:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>The nature of the patient’s medical problem and the likely effect on patient care;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>The length of the professional relationship;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>The degree of emotional dependence on the health care practitioner;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>The importance of the clinical encounter to the key third party and the patient; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Whether the health care practitioner-patient relationship can be terminated in keeping with ethics guidance and what implications doing so would have for the patient; and</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>A former patient upon consideration of the following factors:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Duration of the health care practitioner-patient relationship;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Nature of the health care services provided;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Lapse of time since the health care practitioner-patient relationship ended;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Extent to which the former patient confided personal or private information to the health care practitioner;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Degree of emotional dependence that the former patient has or had on the health care practitioner;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(f)">
        <text>Extent to which the health care practitioner used or exploited the trust, knowledge, emotions, or influence derived from the previous health care practitioner-patient relationship; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(g)">
        <text>Whether the health care practitioner-patient relationship was terminated in order to enter into a romantic or sexual relationship.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>