Written by James Kingsland on January 12, 2021 — Fact checked by Catherine Carver, MPH A survey reveals that rape and death threats were among abusive messages sent to doctors on social media, while 1 in 6 female respondents reported receiving sexually harassing messages. Westend61/Getty Images A first-of-its-kind survey queried medical professionals who are active on social media about their experience of online abuse. The results indicate that 1 in 4 doctors have experienced “personal attacks.” Among female medical professionals, 1 in 6 report experiencing sexual harassment on social media. The researchers behind the survey, which appears in JAMA Internal Medicine, have called on medical institutions to put plans in place to deal with online harassment of healthcare providers.