'I'm going to touch you here, because...': Informed consent at the doctors

A spotlight on the issue of massage sexual assault was raised during Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Stories of inappropriate touch during massage sessions revealed instances where the clients were unsure whether the touching was legitimately part of the massage.

Sexual Assault Support Service chief executive Sandi Doherty said a better understanding of consent in the broader community could assist.

"What we want is whole of community to have a much clearer understanding of what consent means," Ms Doherty said.

"It is really important that we see a shift in understanding of consent, to make sure people do have the knowledge of what is and isn't okay, and to know what it feels like when someone is going beyond what you consent to."

She said best practice training for professionals and practitioners in all disciplines working with people's bodies could help promote an informed understanding of consent.

"In any situation where somebody is put in a position where they are more vulnerable than they ordinarily would be, it is the duty of the person who is in a position of power to really, absolutely, be very actively seeking consent," Ms Doherty said.

"That applies to massage therapists as it would to any nurse, or any doctor, who was working with somebody's body.

"It is the responsibility of that professional to ensure that they have the informed consent of the people who they are working with, and of making sure the environment, and all interactions, are comfortable for their clients.

Laurel House chief executive Kathryn Fordyce said informed consent training was occurring across the health sector.

"This is about talking with health professionals about how to ensure consent, for example 'I'm about to touch you here' and 'this is why I am doing this'," Ms Fordyce said.

"It is about a consenting process that happens over the course of an interaction."

Massage and Myotherapy Association chief executive Ann Davey said the organisation was helping to raise awareness around what is and what is not a professional massage, which would help clients know what can be expected.

"There are modalities in massage where the therapist would need to push underwear aside to get to a glute, or an injury, but communication comes into that," she said.

"They need to communicate to the client what it is they are doing, and they need to get permission to do that."

She said there were also strict draping guidelines, where the body remains covered with a sheet or a towel.

"So for a chest massage for a female you are not just going to pull the towel back and have the person exposed, you are only going to be exposing the area where you are treating.

"It is all about communication, and consent from the client."