To think that having a mammogram carried out by a man is preferable to a long wait for an appointment.

Exactly there are so many reasons for not wanting a man to do it. My initial reaction when I heard the news was I hope it doesn't happen anytime soon as mum already procrastinates as it is. She'd never go again. I'm not old enough yet but I wouldn't be comfortable with a man doing it if I'm totally honest. It is so intimate. I appreciate there are male breast surgeons and oncologists but this horrible bit should be done by a woman I think. Someone who can appreciate how it feels and the vulnerability you experience in that situation.

Males are not at risk from women. It's also quite possible that male patients quite like the attention from women as staff, although that is a bucket of worms that has yet to be opened. Sexual harassment of women staff in the NHS is rife.

There are also women who would have a problem for religious reasons, as well as those other groups you mentioned. And also the “I just don’t feel comfortable with it” group.

As others have pointed out, when men start doing mammograms the NHS line will be along the lines of “You may request a female or male practitioner and we will try to fulfill this, but there are no guarantees, and your procedure may be delayed”

i.e. not much choice at all for women who don’t want their breasts hauled and manhandled by men.

I find it sad how many women are keen to give up their comfort and potentially safety so easily. So many are effectively saying, ‘I wouldn’t choose a man but I will suffer the discomfort. But why?

We need to question WHY there is a shortage of mammographers?

And why, if conditions are preventing recruitment, are we assuming that the solution is to recruit men instead of improving conditions?

What sort of man might be happy to put up with poor work conditions in order to look at and handle women’s breasts all day?

Do you know how many sexual assaults and rapes are carried out in hospitals every year BY MALE STAFF?

There was a recruitment drive to get more men into midwifery a while ago. Several of those men now have convictions for sexual assault or possessing images of CSA.

Why do we want to give more men privileged access to women when vulnerable?

Lots of women are saying that they wouldn’t have a mammogram if a man did it. Surely we shouldn’t be doing things that reduces the number of women screened? Or do you think it’s just our tough luck if we die?

Or how many “ can’t understand the drama” crew have actually experienced a mammogram

The answer is more women radiographers.

Sorry… but your post did make me giggle. Speculum I’m guessing is what you meant instead of spatula

It is how the procedure is carried out, I'm not insulting the staff.

A choice is not kind. It's forcing people to accept a man. Because we have been conditioned to be kind you can't see a choice is not a choice in these circumstances.

It's not a real choice.

Thank you! I’ve had smear tests and such examinations done by men and while it’s not fun, it’s only a spatula going inside briefly. Mammograms are 100% different and far more intimate - yes, really. Your breasts are held and pulled around and manipulated and like another pp upthread, I found it quite shocking and painful. The thought of a male doing this is terrible. Fgs is no female space ours? That’s how I feel about it

They are not just just bundling breasts into a vice like machine all day long.

Way to go describing a highly trained radiographer positioning the anatomy to capture the optimum imaging and potentially save your life in doing so.

Not my experience. The mammogram for which l had a recall showed an area of tissue which had changed when compared to the previous screening. The consultant radiographer did the biopsies and inserted the wire marker under local anaesthetic. Then she asked if l wanted her opinion on what the change was. I did. She told me she was certain that what she was looking at was a large, invasive lobular cancer. She was spot on.

My mammogram was delayed for just shy of ten weeks because of staffing problems. Cancelled twice in that time. I now know that had my cancer been more aggressive or faster growing, I would almost certainly have received a later stage diagnosis, necessitating more aggressive treatment and impacting survival time.

And not all cancers can be detected by the patient. Lobular cancer doesn’t present with lumps - there was nothing to indicate it was even there until the mammogram detected it. Routine screening it may be, but there is no doubt that it saves lives.

Males tend not to mind so much ime.

My dad recently had a very intimate examination carried out by a female consultant urologist. He didn’t have the opportunity to object and request a male doctor.

Yup, that’s what I was asking.

FTR, I agree with you and it came from the question why would men want to specialize in mammography vs. other areas. I was thinking to myself ‘well there could be a lot of reasons’ (including maybe their local hospital only has openings in mammography) which then opened up the question in my mind.

More of a thought exercise on my part vs a real suggestion.

'You could say the same about male gynaecologists surely?'

No. Male gynae's job covers a massive range from tests to treatment and different surgery. They are not just just bundling breasts into a vice like machine all day long.

I had a mammogram cancelled twice because of staffing issues. Delay in total was ten weeks. Subsequently diagnosed with breast cancer.

I don't think a lot of you are being nice about this. Plenty of women will not go if a man is doing it, my mum included who I already have to strong arm to go to the bloody things! You're not thinking about survivors of SA, people with extreme body issues and low self esteem. It's fine to bring this in with the caveat that you can request a woman if you aren't comfortable with a man doing it. A lot of people struggle to go as it is.

Sorry bit confused about what you are asking. Are you proposing that female radiographers would not be allowed to work in other imaging modalities if vacancies existed in the female only mammography modality? If so then no, I wouldn’t support this. You can’t tell people where they have to work- and many areas of radiography have high vacancy rates- it would also be terrible to receive a mammogram from a radiographer that hated their job and was only there because they had no choice.

Have you had a mammogram?

Can you appreciate that male doctors have chaperones for reason? To protect them from accusations and you from abuse.

You could say the same about male gynaecologists surely?

The difference is that gynaecologists or male drs have to offer you a chaperone. Radiographers don't so that needs to change if it's a man.

There is a lot of touching with mammograms.

I have the impression that many posters here are either not over 50 (age mammograms are started) or have not had a mammogram for other reasons so don't appreciate what it's like.

Boobs are 'manhandled' and placed in the machine with a lot of lifting and positioning of them.

It wouldn’t bother me at all.

So here’s a question would you (global you… or anyone who wants to answer) support rules that would not allow women to apply for or be in non mammogram radiography roles if there are open positions that need to be filled? That would solve the vacancies.

This comes from @BobbleHatsRule question but looking for any responses really.

There are more female radiographers than male.

To perform mammos you choose to specialise in this.

I'd question why any male radiographer would choose mammos over MRI, ultrasound, CT, nuclear medicine etc etc

The uptake of breast screening is low. This would not help one jot

I haven’t expressed my own preference anywhere in my post. I was pointing out that the PP was being very dismissive of women describing good and clear reasons for finding mammograms more intimate and potentially embarrassing/uncomfortable than smear tests.

I’ve also pointed out that there is no choice for women if male mammographers enter the service. As other PP have pointed out from their own workplaces - you can request a particular sex of HCP but you have no right to it. The nearest women actually get to a choice is “take it or leave it”.

Bearing in mind that male mammographers will also need a chaperone (although the society notably makes no mention of this provision) there will be additional costs as well as reductions in screening update. How about using that to offer female radiographers a hot skills bonus in this area to attract more staff in areas of shortage?

As @Soontobe60 says - lets see the data and the actual evidence on take up, reasons for non attendance, capacity in different areas and if there is a shortage of female radiographers lets look at expanding the female capacity first. Just because a union for a group of workers says “do this” doesn’t make them automatically correct.

The NHS has generally provided a second class service to women, especially minority and disadvantaged women. How about instead of blaming women wanting intimate and intrusive screening done by women you point the ammunition at the organisations charged with delivering the service to find ways to meet screening targets without forcing women to accept men in this area or opt out?