Quebec couple shocked after doctor allegedly blames chronic pain on their sex life

A Quebec couple says they are triggered and traumatized after a recent meeting with a doctor who allegedly accused them of spreading sexually transmitted infections (STI) because they are gay.

Drake Jensen and Michael Morin, who have been married for 17 years, say they were attending their first-ever appointment with a family doctor at the Maniwaki CLSC last Thursday.

They allege the doctor, whom CTV News has chosen not to name as there are currently no disciplinary hearings or legal or regulatory sanctions against him, started making outlandish claims.

Jensen, a Canadian singer and well-known advocate for the LGBTQ2S+ community, says the doctor started the appointment by looking at their charts and telling his husband, "I see you have condyloma."

"I said, 'I don't know that word,'" Morin explains, adding that he had previously seen a doctor to have a skin tag surgically removed from a sensitive area.

They later realized condyloma, also known as genital warts, is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).

Morin affirms he has never been diagnosed with condyloma.

The couple states the doctor did not do a physical exam of Morin before making the claim.

Jensen says he brushed over the accusation so he could explain the reason for his visit: chronic back pain that has plagued him for over a decade.

"I said the pain radiates everywhere in my sit bones, and he said, 'Oh, you have burning pain in your rectum,'" Jensen tells CTV News. "He looked at Michael, who was sitting in the chair, and he said, 'well, you have penile warts. You probably had sex with him and you gave him HPV. Your problem is HPV.'"

Jensen and Morin say they were shocked by the comments, which they insist are untrue.

"To be met with this type of prejudice is mentally disturbing," he said. "I feel emotionally violated."

The 53-year-old Nova Scotia native says he stopped the appointment immediately.

"My viewpoint on what he wanted to come out of this? He didn't want us as patients," said Jensen. "That's how we both feel. He was trying to get rid of us."

READ MORE: Discrimination is killing queer people, says LGBTQ2S+ advocacy group

Accusations such as these are a slippery slope, according to Fondation Émergence, a group that works to educate people about LGBTQ2S+ rights.

"There is this fear of living through discrimination and not being treated respectfully. [This] prevents LGBTQ+ people from getting the help they need," explains Olivia Baker, a program manager with Fondation Émergence. "They might delay interventions, and they might be reluctant to disclose their sexual orientation and gender identity when it might be important for the medical professional to know that."

She explains that bad medical experiences can lead to potentially life-threatening situations.

"LGBTQ phobia is reducing the lives of LGBTQ+ people in a lot of different ways," Baker said. "We think about aggression, murders and criminalization as very obvious causes, but also not getting the medical help you need...can also have a negative impact on LGBTQ+ people's lives."

Drake Jensen and Michael Morin. (Courtesy: Drake Jensen)

Jensen and Morin have filed official complaints with the Maniwaki CLSC and the Quebec College of Physicians (CMQ).

"There have indeed been two complaints filed for this situation for which we do not yet have the conclusions," said Patricia Rhéaume, a media relations officer with the CISSS de l'Outaouais.

When asked about the incident, the CMQ stressed, "Physicians must practice their profession with respect for the life, dignity and freedom of the individual."

"I can neither confirm nor deny whether this doctor has already been investigated, as investigations are confidential," explains media relations officer Leslie Labranche. "An investigation becomes public when the syndic's office files a complaint with the disciplinary board. This doctor has not been the subject of a complaint before the disciplinary board."

Nevertheless, the College admits, "sexual and gender diversity remains misunderstood in many respects in the medical field."

It notes it released a publication last spring as part of ongoing efforts to inform physicians of their important role as health care providers.

"All people must receive quality, inclusive care and be treated equitably," the College stresses.

Jensen and Morin insist they want to see the doctor reprimanded for his actions.

"To be meeting it now in 2024 from a medical professional with a Hippocratic Oath is just mind-blowing. What happened that day in that office, we were both just so stunningly shocked," Jensen said as Morin nodded in agreement.

READ MORE: Discrimination is killing queer people, says LGBTQ2S+ advocacy group

"When I got married, I took a vow to take care of him and I need help right now," said Morin of Jensen's chronic illness.

The couple says they have each contacted their therapists following the incident.

"I've met a lot of this [discrimination] in the music industry...but it's really, really difficult when you're sick and you need help, and you get met with this at your worst," said Jensen.