Are you allowed to treat your boyfriend or girlfriend in the clinic?

• A. Yes
• B. Not allowed
• C. Not allowed, unless you are not living together
• D. Not allowed due to the Immediate Family rule

Answer: (D)

Maintaining professional boundaries and avoiding dual relationships is essential in clinical care. Treating someone you’re in a close personal relationship with, like a boyfriend or girlfriend, can bias judgment, affect decision-making, and raise confidentiality concerns. To prevent these issues, many clinics enforce an Immediate Family rule that prohibits treating immediate family members or partners.

That rule is why the correct choice states it’s not allowed due to the Immediate Family rule—the policy provides the definitive justification, regardless of living arrangements. The other options imply permissiveness or depend on factors the policy does not allow, which would undermine boundaries and patient trust.