Privacy is a crucial part of our everyday experiences. It protects our feelings and our personal life—it lets us feel safe as if we’re in this imaginary bubble that keeps us away from unnecessary stress. Though sometimes, we cross paths with ignorant people who are not willing to consider our boundaries. Yes, it’s somewhat acceptable to assume that at some point in our lifetime, someone who’s close to us will have the audacity to disrespect us, yet, we know that certain people such as professionals are legally bound to follow the confidentiality law.

Healthcare workers are thought to be the most trustworthy individuals since they are the first ones we come to whenever there is emotional or physical distress. They keep us alive—therefore, we are obligated to be transparent with them.

Usually, the majority of specialists and their employees tend to be private and confidential, considering that everyone is aware of what could potentially happen if they would breach the confidentiality agreement, but this 20-year-old woman has a different story to tell:

More info: reddit.com

Confidentiality is a #1 law amongst any professionals

Image credits: Army Medicine (not the actual photo)

TAbabyblabbermouth, a Reddit user, opened up a discussion on the “Am I The A-Hole” subreddit, asking the online community whether she would be the bad guy for reporting a family friend who outed her pregnancy to her place of work.

In a nutshell, Tababyblabbermouth found out that she was expecting, even though she was taking an oral contraceptive. To confirm the pregnancy, she made an appointment with her nearest and highest-rated OB—but when the appointment day finally arrived, she became “immediately concerned” since the woman behind the desk turned out to be Tababyblabbermouth’s mother’s old friend.

And this is the story all about how the receptionist ended up breaching a privacy rule

Image credits: u/TAbabyblabbermouth

Tababyblabbermouth mentioned that the women aren’t close anymore—however, they’ve known each other since high school, and they do occasionally contact each other.

Since the future mother wasn’t ready to share the exciting news with anyone other than her partner yet, she began panicking—but her boyfriend was quick to assure her that the woman wouldn’t be able to share anything without Tababyblabbermouth’s consent.

But unfortunately, when Tababyblabbermouth got home, her mother was already aware of the news as her old high school friend had already congratulated her over text.

Many users agreed on the fact that not only did that woman break the privacy and security laws, but she also stole an incredibly valuable and meaningful moment from Tababyblabbermouth, as she should’ve been able to announce the news at her own time and pace.

Some commenters also speculate that the woman did this deliberately, as the future mother couldn’t possibly have had the time to share the news with her family, even if she wanted to, as the text was sent way before Tababyblabbermouth arrived home.

The fact that after the appointment, the receptionist intentionally checked the medical records just to see the result doesn’t sit right with the online community, and it makes people wonder if this is an ongoing thing that the receptionist has been practicing, or was it done purely because of the fact that Tababyblabbermouth was a daughter of a friend.

Either way, Tababyblabbermouth explained that she was lucky enough to have such a supportive family. Yet, she has also expressed her concern towards families with different kinds of relationships, who could’ve potentially reacted in an entirely different way.

Tababyblabbermouth also makes sure to mention that she completely understands that the employee crossed the line, although she feels that it doesn’t seem right to report her as it could potentially get her fired, which is why she took it over to Reddit for some guidance.

Considering the Reddit community, the majority of users agree with the fact that this situation is a strict HIPAA violation. People are furious and are voicing their concerns, asking Tababyblabbermouth to immediately contact her OB office.

Some folks shared similar stories about the same lack of privacy from professionals. Many users also pointed out that there could’ve been piles of issues with this kind of “gossip,” as different people have different plans and circumstances.

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However, soon after, Tababyblabbermouth edited the post and told the fellow readers that she decided to report the receptionist to her OB.

Tababyblabbermouth also stated that she will make sure to explain the whole situation, as she wants the healthcare employees to know that nothing awful happened to her and that she is reporting this matter purely out of concern for future patients with different background stories.

Shortly after the story was posted, the Reddit users received an update where Tababyblabbermouth mentioned that she reported the woman to her OB—to which they said that they take situations like this very seriously.

The online community agreed with the OP and encouraged her to report the receptionist

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In 5 days, the thread received 17,500 upvotes, 2,400 comments and a fiery discussion regarding this unethical circumstance. We’re eager to see what you think of this situation, so let us know in the comment section below!

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