To have found my first mammogram really upsetting?

I too am very, very familiar with the mammogram machine, and have often said that if a man were to design a 'testes-gram' to detect testicular cancer, it would not invole squishing them between 2 metal plates

And yet these same ‘smart men’ are yet to come up with a hands off approach to prostate exams. Sometimes there is just no better option as yet, it’s not a specific attack on women.

I think this was a lighthearted comment poking at the absurdity of the process! I too am very, very familiar with the mammogram machine, and have often said that if a man were to design a 'testes-gram' to detect testicular cancer, it would not invole squishing them between 2 metal plates.
But of course, I am eternally grateful for such an invention, and i happily grit my teeth for the test duration.
So, no, not a man-bashing comment

If it was a dentist, for example, I’d hope a good dentist would tell me what they were planning to do before drilling etc even if I had researched online. Just because it’s women’s breasts it doesn’t mean we have to put up and shut up about poor care

That’s not the same. A dentist visit does not have mandatory drilling of teeth. It will involve a mandatory oral examination though and then what needs doing will depend on that so you’d expect that to be explained after the oral exam. A mammogram involves mandatory nudity, generally manipulation of breasts into position and a machine to take a mammogram. So, the more realistic analogy for your argument is that if you go to the dentist, the dentist must explain to you that you will need to open your mouth for them to look in to see your teeth during the visit. Also complaining that there was a large piece of equipment in the room for the mammogram is a bit like complaining you went to the dentist and they had a dentist chair and you were not expecting it because you hadn’t specifically been told …..

You can’t assume everyone has the same level of understanding or cultural background when it comes to nudity/body touching so I think having the basics of the procedure and what will go where should be explained to everyone at every appointment. I’d think of that as a basic curtesy.

If it was a dentist, for example, I’d hope a good dentist would tell me what they were planning to do before drilling etc even if I had researched online. Just because it’s women’s breasts it doesn’t mean we have to put up and shut up about poor care.

Not a chance I will go for one after everything I've read about them on here
My boobs are so large and dense they don't flatten so I can't imagine how sore it would be
If I press them and try to flatten them there's about 4 inches of boob still

Educational needs can mean additional supports like single occupancy exam rooms, more time to adjust to conditions etc. It doesn't mean that someone needs extra help with understanding Hume's Is/Ought theory or that it is solely confined to an educational setting.

Your example about typos/mistakes isn't relevant.

I wouldn't expect to be asked for consent. It's a mammogram. Of course, they are going to touch your breasts. Otherwise, they couldn't perform the exam.

I think we all have different ideas about the best way for this to be done.

I prefer to get in, be "handled" into position & go.

Not interested in any chat whilst I'm stripped to my waist tbh.

Mine has so far always been done in a Mammobile so it is pretty much "conveyor belt" & that suits me!

That said I tell them to just put me where necessary.

On your last point - also, the OP's autism! A situation where a neurotypical person might feel a bit vulnerable, intimidated or awkward about speaking up, for all of the reasons you mention, is unlikely to be any easier for an autistic person, and might be much harder. Many posters are responding to the OP as though she can just turn the autism off if it makes things difficult. Knowing what's appropriate to say in general can be hard, and in an uncomfortable situation it's even worse.

YANBU

The radiographer was BVU for not explaining what she was doing, and for being abrupt. She should have made you feel at ease. That is such an important part of any healthcare job.

It is all well and good saying you should have researched it all before going, but sometimes that can make things worse. And it also does not prepare you for the embarrassment of having various body parts on show.

As a student HCP, I saw a patient being roughly handled by several members of staff, as she needed a 12 lead ECG (so the sticky dots are put under your boobs, and on ankles too). She was in recovery, and it was not a rushed emergency situation. A male nurse just pulled her gown down, exposing her breasts. No one explained anything to her at all. She was just treated like a slab of meat. The poor patient was in bits, and afterwards told me that she had wet herself.

During my training, it was drummed into me the importance of consent. Even explaining what you are doing goes a long way in helping a patient feel more comfortable.

It is normal to sometimes come away from procedures feeling a bit sore etc, but no one should be coming away from such appointments feeling demeaned and upset about how the staff treated them.

I hope you complain, OP.

Like other posters, I have had many mammograms and never once has anyone asked for my consent before touching me and manipulating my breasts into the correct position. Agreeing to the appointment and turning up is you giving consent.

Surely this is not always the case? With other procedures I've definitely been asked for consent. Turning up wasn't enough!

I googled anything I was unsure of so as to be best prepared and know exactly what to expect.

I've done the same but have still been caught out by things not covered in what I'd read, or by things being different at my hospital. And sometimes a hospital will include notes with an appointment letter & you get there & find things are different from their own notes.

You have a voice and if you were uncomfortable with the treatment you were receiving, you should have said something, even just to tell her to stop and ask to see someone else.

Sometimes & for some people, this is just too difficult. Reasons might include: shyness, being unsure whether the procedure is being done wrongly (it was OP's first mammo), not wanting to make a fuss or be seen as difficult, fear of repercussions, fear of being seen to 'waste' an NHS appointment, not knowing your rights, fear of taking more time off work for another appointment, etc.

I'm willing to cut the OP some slack on this. I'm surprised others aren't.

SEN literally stands for Special Educational Needs. Using it as a catch all and expecting others to know that you do so is unhelpful. How am I supposed to know that NTs just wave away any ND as an educational problem? Apart from it being a bit insulting, it's poor communication. Imagine we all started calling you lot "Typos', didn't communicate we meant Neuro typical, got annoyed with you when you didn't properly self identify as a Typo, and acted baffled when you tried to explain that "typo" also means "mistake" so you didn't appreciate it as a label.

And they say autistic people lack empathy/ have poor communication skills

THIS

Like other posters, I have had many mammograms and never once has anyone asked for my consent before touching me and manipulating my breasts into the correct position. Agreeing to the appointment and turning up is you giving consent.

However, at the same time, having recently gone through breast cancer (and a double mastectomy), including many kinds of additional imaging be it ultrasound, MRI, CT scan etc, and other treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, at every juncture, and ahead of some appointment, I googled anything I was unsure of so as to be best prepared and know exactly what to expect.

Having had thirty plus years of dealing with breast issues, I have only ever had one deeply unpleasant experience with a consultant, and I raised this issue immediately with the matron on duty, and then with PALS who took my complaint seriously. Am sorry you felt you were treated without dignity and found the experience upsetting, so you must feedback to PALS. Even so, I feel you are being unreasonable. You have a voice and if you were uncomfortable with the treatment you were receiving, you should have said something, even just to tell her to stop and ask to see someone else.

Definitely make a complaint. I've had a couple and have always been treated kindly and told what they are going to do before they do it. Its not your autism, perhaps that has made it more difficult for you but they shouldn't be treating anyone that way.

I was asked recently if I had any additional needs - that would have covered it.

This is not a SEN , nor an autism issue.

EVERYBODY should expect to be treated with common courtesy and dignity during any medical procedure. If you do not expect this, that’s a you problem that your standards are so low. Those berating the OP are wrong, plain and simple. If I ever witnessed any of my students treating a patient like the OP has described here I would be very unhappy and disappointed, and we would be having a very frank conversation.

Maybe it should be changed? It could be SESN, with social needs added. If education is the one thing you haven't struggled with, it's really not nice to find out that you are automatically considered to have SEN.

But sen is a catch all phrase that covers many elements, including behavioural, social, and emotional needs, it isn’t simply academia.

They really need to find a different way to ask re autism. Like a PP I am autistic but would not respond to the SEN question - one I sailed right through to my PhD with zero educational support; and two - it's not an educational setting. I was not diagnosed as a child and therefore would not know to describe myself as SEN. It's not how I see myself at all and a v bad use of words, not to say faintly insulting. I struggle with all sorts of things and education is not one of them, perhaps the only not one of them, and it feels upsetting to have to identify myself as educationally handicapped just to be treated with a bit of consideration.

This. I am aged out of mammos now but twice I got recalls. I am one of the lucky ones whose recalls showed clear.

I made a joke similar to this once to the mammogram technician. She told me that men have mammograms too and she hates having to do them. They are very much more painful for most men because of the lack of breast tissue and are only performed where its fairly sure that they have breast cancer. I thanked her for the information.

YANBU at all, OP, and I'm really surprised by some of the shitty responses you've received on here. The radiographer absolutely should have explained what they were about to do and asked if that was ok. Just showing up for a hospital appointment does not mean you have consented to anything. I'm glad you gave feedback.

And this may or may not make you feel better - I have asked for over a year for advance information about the treatment and what each appointment will involve for my son and not once have I ever received it. People seem to think you should be grateful for the crumbs of crappy service you receive.

No, this is not normal, IME. I've had loads of mammos done over the years, both NHS & private ones, & I've never been treated like this.

I've always been treated with kindness & respect. They always understand it can be embarrassing or upsetting. The only difference I've found is in the machines themselves: lately, going private, I've had newer machines which are made with more plastic & less metal & have more rounded edges, so they're more comfortable.

In case it helps, as you get older & your tits give up the ghost, mammos become far easier & less painful!

OP, I'm sorry you had this experience. Please know it shouldn't be like that, & please don't let it put you off doing another one at some time. My breast cancer was caught early, during a regular mammo, & I'm forever grateful for that.

I had my first recently. I was even asked at reception if it was my first. The person at reception ended up being the person who did the exam. No one else came into reception between her registering me and us going into the exam room.
If she was treating me differently because it was my first, I hate to think how she normally does them.
I'll call her she because she never gave her name. I found that very unusual.
She didn't ask for consent. I had signed nothing.
She basically said that she would need to take several pictures and that was it.
I was not prepared for the physical manoeuvres required - bend here, twist there, look round there, hold on there. She grabbed my (40j) boobs and pushed and pulled. Several times she put her hand flat on my stomach (which is large, but still), and pushed really hard. I assume it was too close to the machine. But there was no warning given.
And yes, the squishing really hurt.
I did look at all the info my appointment details directed me to, but they described nothing like any of this.
At no point did she ask if I was ok.
There was no interaction at all.

@aerkfjherf or we could raise the bar higher and treat people with respect in their appointments.