Italian Doctor Labels Patient as Gay on Medical Prescription

Pescara: An Italian doctor has come under scrutiny for specifying a patient’s sexual orientation on a medical prescription. The incident took place in a hospital in Pescara, a port city in the Abruzzo region, where the doctor wrote “homosexual patient” on both a test result and a day hospital prescription for 61-year-old Enzo Speranzini Anelli.

According to Ansa News Agency, Anelli expressed feeling “humiliated and discriminated against” after receiving the document. He shared his disbelief with Il Messaggero, stating, “Something like this had never happened to me before, in any field, much less would I have expected it from a doctor who is supposed to excel in sensitivity and empathy with people.” Anelli also mentioned that the doctor’s detached demeanor made both him and his husband uncomfortable during the consultation.

Anelli further explained that the certificate, which needs to be submitted at the hospital’s reception for his upcoming treatment, will keep the data on file. He expressed concern that the label “homosexual patient” will appear whenever his medical records are accessed in the future. This has led him to question whether the doctor similarly specifies the sexual orientation of heterosexual patients.

Despite the incident, Anelli has chosen not to pursue legal action. Instead, he plans to contact the hospital’s management to address the issue. He also shared his experience on Facebook to raise awareness about the situation.