Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

I have to ask elderly patients for their gender identity

116 replies

Crabbyboot · 13/10/2022 19:12

Please can I have some advice on this, I have been told by my boss that i have to ask our elderly patients for their gender identity when they come to see us. Without giving too much away I don't work in the UK so I am not NHS. My boss also does not agree with this but she says we need to do it as the regulators require it as part of our standards. Bearing in mind that we are a medical department I feel that this is highly unscientific. Also given the demographic of our patients it is inappropriate. I don't know if I should bother fighting this, or if it is just something I let go and accept. If I fight it I would like some help to articulate myself properly and in a way that is legal so I can't loose my job. I partly feel like just complying but insisting that everyone at work refers to me as a he/him/his just to prove how silly it is.

OP posts:
Original poster
Crabbyboot · 13/10/2022 19:26

wildseas · 13/10/2022 19:22

Do you work in a field where there could be a legitimate medical concern if you failed to tell sex apart. Eg not screening a male patient for prostate cancer because you believe them to be female. If so I think that you could politely ask some questions around that.

do you work in a field where safeguarding is important ? Eg single sex wards, a chaperone when a male doctor is doing an internal exam on a female patient. Again that could be an area to ask some polite questions

an alternative could be to comply but inform patients that if they don’t like that question they can complain and here is a form

good luck!

Not too sex specific but we are treating conditions that are more prevalent in women. I was concerned about data being inaccurate.

OP posts:
Original poster
Crabbyboot · 13/10/2022 19:24

MrsGhandi · 13/10/2022 19:22

To clarify you have to ask sex and gender identity ?

This is something I have asked to have clarified as I said asking for gender identity alone would lead to inaccuracies.

OP posts:
Original poster
Crabbyboot · 13/10/2022 19:23

Goodness me I wasn't expecting so many responses so quickly! Grin yes as some of you have mentioned I do think they will ask "what the hell is that?" And perhaps documenting this response is the way to go.

I think it is just the principle of the matter that irritates me the most, especially in the medical field.

OP posts:
wildseas · 13/10/2022 19:22

Do you work in a field where there could be a legitimate medical concern if you failed to tell sex apart. Eg not screening a male patient for prostate cancer because you believe them to be female. If so I think that you could politely ask some questions around that.

do you work in a field where safeguarding is important ? Eg single sex wards, a chaperone when a male doctor is doing an internal exam on a female patient. Again that could be an area to ask some polite questions

an alternative could be to comply but inform patients that if they don’t like that question they can complain and here is a form

good luck!

jewishmum · 13/10/2022 19:22

I'd ask.

Hopefully you'll get complaints from offended elderly people and they will revise the policy.

MrsGhandi · 13/10/2022 19:22

To clarify you have to ask sex and gender identity ?

FrankTheThunderbird · 13/10/2022 19:21

My 88 year old grandfather would think you'd lost the plot. He's clearly male, I don't think he knows what "gender identity" is.

Mrsjayy · 13/10/2022 19:20

God sake patients not parents!

Potat0soup · 13/10/2022 19:20

If you do ask, you should record their actual answer.

"You what?"

"Eh?"

"Are you calling me a woman?"

Original poster
Crabbyboot · 13/10/2022 19:19

dementedpixie · 13/10/2022 19:14

Is it a box you need to tick?
Surely what sex they are is of more importance

Precisely, sex of the patient is very important in healthcare.

OP posts:
Mrsjayy · 13/10/2022 19:19

I would let your parents say what are you talking about and let the ridiculous question be asked!

Potat0soup · 13/10/2022 19:19

Record their sex where necessary and if there is a separate gender box mark that fro their sex as well

Thelnebriati · 13/10/2022 19:18

''I'm sorry but I have to ask you, do you have a gender identity, yes or no?''

Potat0soup · 13/10/2022 19:18

I'd just not do it. They're unlikely to tell a supervisor that their gender wasn't asked.

HirplesWithHaggis · 13/10/2022 19:16

How likely are your patients to say, "Eh, what? I'm male/female" (as appropriate)? I'm not "elderly" but I am 60 and would be inclined to answer (politely, I know it's not your fault!) that I don't have a gender identity. Perhaps most of your patients won't have a clue what you're talking about anyway.

dementedpixie · 13/10/2022 19:14

Is it a box you need to tick?
Surely what sex they are is of more importance

Swipe left for the next trending thread