In clinical medicine, a formal chaperone is a person who serves as a witness for both patient and clinician to safeguard both parties during a medical examination or procedure.
There are two considerations involved in having a chaperone to assist during intimate examinations protection of the doctor/nurse for allegations of improper conduct.
There may be occasions when a chaperone is unavailable. In such circumstances the doctor will assess the nature of the examination to decide if it is appropriate to go ahead at that time.