In August 2023, Dr. Victor Acharian refused to see the 26-year-old patient, who attended the gynaecological appointment with his boyfriend. He told the trans patient – a biological male – that he was "not competent, but I can guide you," adding that it was not his "speciality." He underlined: "I don't know how to treat them and I don't mind being called ignorant," the Daily Mail writes.
The patient reportedly called the doctor 'transphobic' before her partner left a comment on the clinic's Google reviews complaining about what had happened. The doctor replied that he only treated "real women" and said he had "no skills to treat men, even if they have shaved their beards and come to tell my secretary that they have become women.
According to French press reports, the incident left the patient in a "black hole" and in "shock." Transgender rights organisations also lodged a series of complaints, coming to the patient's defence.
In December, Dr. Acharian appeared before the French Medical Council and has been suspended for a month from March 1, with an additional five months' probation.
Edouard Martial, a lawyer representing the patient, underlined that the doctor's suspension by the council confirms that "what happened that day was totally abnormal." Trans group SOS Homophobie claimed that the doctor's actions could have been "also punishable by criminal sanctions." Mar Cambrollé, president of the Trans Platform Federation in Spain, also previously told Euronews: "It is brutal to deny the right to health, it is a universal right that all citizens have."
Mr. Acharian, who practises in Pau, southwestern France, does have the right to appeal against the suspension, but it is not yet clear whether he will. The doctor did apologise for causing any offence weeks after the incident and said he had offered to refer the trans patient to a specialist who could help.
Cover photo: Illustration (Source: Pexels)
