SALT LAKE CITY — After a lawsuit was filed against a Provo OB-GYN, accusing him of sexually abusing patients over the course of 30 years, two women are sharing their experiences as patients in his office.
The lawsuit was filed against Dr. David H. Broadbent, among other defendants. Broadbent is a Utah resident and has owned a private practice in Utah county since the 1980's. The office is located near housing for Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University.
Plaintiffs accuse Dr. Broadbent of sexually abusing his patients between 1996 and 2018.
Read - Provo OB-GYN accused of sexually abusing patients over course of 30 years
Four plaintiffs in the lawsuit, all named as "Jane Doe" in order to protect their privacy, shared their experiences with Broadbent. Also listed as plaintiffs is space for 100 other "Jane Doe's," to represent the other patients who may come forward with experiences of abuse.
FOX 13 News spoke to two of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit and they shared their personal experiences being in Broadbent's care. In order to protect the privacy of the women, their identities will not be disclosed.
One plaintiff explained how in 2008, she went in for a premarital exam with Broadbent. The proximity of his office to her apartment made the appointment convenient, and his practice was one that accepted her health insurance at the time.
The woman said he knew it was her first exam and after she changed into a gown, he proceeded to touch her without warning or consent.
"I was really just going in for birth control before getting married. By the time I had left, he had done a full body exam top to bottom, no warning, very painful, forceful," she explained. "I just had no idea that it was coming."
After the exam, the woman said she blamed herself for feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed. She says she didn't tell anyone about her experience for years.
"I felt violated and I felt like it was what had happened was was wrong, but then almost immediately doubted myself, because he's the doctor, clearly he knows what he's doing," she recalled. "Clearly he knows what I need, and I blamed myself."
Another woman explained how in 2016 she went to Broadbent as a Brigham Young University student. His office was within walking distance from where she lived at the time.
"I went in for one very specific thing," she explained. "I left the office that day having received multiple unnecessary examinations without my consent, with inappropriate commentary [and] touching."
She explained that what followed was feelings of self doubt and the justification that he was a doctor and must know what he was doing.
In 2021, one woman went on a podcast and shared her experience as a patient of Dr. Broadbent's. Other women flooded her inbox with similar stories and hearing the experiences from others helped validate her own feelings and motivated four of the former patients to take action.
Both plaintiffs that spoke with FOX 13 believe that the location of the office may have had a big impact on why Broadbent has flown under the radar for so long.
"I was definitely naive when I went and so I'm sure that there have been many, many naive college girls who are going for their first exam," one woman said. "I think that I think he's taken advantage of that. I think he's taken advantage of that location, and having access to so many young women who don't know better."
"I don't want him to be able to touch another patient," the other woman remarked. "I hope that for women that hear this, they can take strength in their stories. Even if they choose not to do so, I hope the can receive that same validation that I needed."
They hope their stories encourage more women to come forward, and want other parents to teach about consent in healthcare.
"When you go to a doctor's office, they may be the doctor in the room, but you are the authority. It is your body and they have to ask for your consent."
The Salt Lake Tribune, a content-sharing partner of FOX 13 News, made calls to a number listed for Broadbent’s office on Friday. Those calls were not returned.
