Will smears be done by men/TWs in future?

I’ll carry on looking for more recent figures but these are interesting be going on with.

Between 2007-2011, there were 56 doctors cautioned or convicted for sexual offences that the GMC investigated to decide whether to allow them to continue practising. 26 were allowed to continue.

In addition 56 have also been barred for sexual misconduct - an inappropriate relationship with patient of staff that didn’t involve a conviction or caution.

In the absence of further information I am assuming that the proportion of male/female offences is the same as in the wider population at 98:2

These figures are just for doctors, not male nurses, midwives or other HCPs - some issues with whom I mentioned earlier.

I think it is very important for women to be allowed to choose a female HCP - there are many reasons for this. I have never been offered a smear by a male nurse and would be horrified if I was.

‘Equality’ in recruiting for that sort of job puts the men’s feelings above the women’s feelings and health and I don’t think the NHS should be doing that.

I'm in my 50s and have never been asked if i want a chaperone for a smear test. They've always been done by a female nurse. If I was being told it was being done by a male I would decline.

Doesn't the use of chaperones add an expense though? I understand completely the motivation but we are paying a qualified NHS staff member to essentially do little when it is apparent we have a staffing crisis in the NHS? I think there is possibly an implicit distrust of professionalism of we bring in chaperones; the vast majority of NH S staff are utterly professional so why the need (granted false accusations could be avoided)?

I don’t know if this is a myth but have read something similar to the OP. At the moment there is the option to request a female practitioner for certain things but that it may become harder for nhs trusts to exclude trans women from that definition - with the consequence that you’re removing the choice to exclude males for women patients

My surgery has lots of posters up saying ask for a chaperone if you want one. Most of my smears, colposcopies and other cervical stuff has been done by men - I've easily had 20+ of the things. I've never requested a chaperone, but often have a parade of medical students doing stuff on me, make and female.

What?

We’ve always offered chaperones for any intimate examination. It’s protection for the clinician as much as it is for the patient.

I'd have a problem though if he started using me as a prop and lying to me.

That's the problem I would have with any TW HCP. I want HCPs to be both science-focused and patient-focused. In a way it is no different to Catholic doctor refusing a woman access to abortion.

I’m with you on this.
I had one done by a male recently- just doing their job. Just like I expect a TW/M would. Nothing sexual about it.
Thats not to say it was a positive experience.
The extra person - or female chaperone - made me feel like I had an audience. Instead of one, I had two people conferring about my cervix insides and having a chat about it. The ‘chaperone’ nurse didn’t even ask whether they should be present, they just told me they would be ‘torch-barer’, while she shone the hand-held torch between my legs and the male consultant did the internal exam. The chaperone then realise the torch wasn’t working well and the two of them stood back for a moment there as she smacked the torch to get it working, while I lay there with my legs open and a speculum in. It was so upsetting. No dignity.
Their gender meant nothing to me, the ‘chaperone’ caused my upset by being unprepared and creating an audience.
Any gender is welcome to help care for me once care and dignity is at the very heart of their practice.

Same.

I'd have a problem though if he started using me as a prop and lying to me.

I have a male gynae - has done smears, colposcopies, has taken a biopsy from my cervix. There's always a female chaperone without him even asking......I don't have any issues at all. He's an amazing dr

This 100%.

Offering a chaperone is nothing new and should be a standard thing to ask for intimate procedures. Men can and do already carry out smears, but as with any medical procedures women have the right to request a female nurse. The issue for me is that if a transwoman is being considered a woman it means the woman having the smear cannot give informed consent, and might not be able to request a different nurse (in theory you can for any reason, in actuality this can be challenging if the NHS does indeed consider them as women).

I avoid all situations that might involve a chaperone, but on the rare occasion, I take my own.

I was asked for my permission for all students - male or female

Not smears but I had a male midwife for my last DC and he was fab. It was just him although DH was also in the room when he wasn’t off eating a sandwich

The difference is that my male gynaecologist is a man who is a gynaecologist.

He isn't a man saying that he is a woman.

I don't want to be intimately examined by a man who says that he's a woman. I think that's a massive safeguarding issue in my life, because that man obviously isn't a woman, so is attempting to delude me, while intimately examining me.

This.
Qualified nurses can be either sex.
Men will already be doing smears with consent.
It's a medical procedure not a day out
No need to get angry just decline

I think the system works.

One thing that can be difficult is when patients demand a certain sex perform an observation/intervention in stretched departments where a specific sex amh not be available.

There have been situations I am aware of where women have been redirected from other duties to cover for men unecessarily.

In our patient databases it is not uncommon for the notice 'no men' to appear for treatment intervention and though the NHS is sensitive to patients' wishes effectively pushing out a certain sex from certain interventions inadvertantly puts pressure on trusts to be biased in their recruitment

And I’ve had rectal examinations for the last 30yrs (unfortunately!) and have always been offered a chaperone whatever the sex of the practitioner.

I don't care what gender they are. If they are male I want the choice.

A chaperone will be fine for many women. For others they will not. We are entitled to that choice.

I’ve always been offered a chaperone and I’ve only ever had female practitioners (as far as I’ve been aware) doing my smear test. This has been the case for the last 20yrs. I had a male practitioner insert and remove my IUD and was also offered a chaperone.

Regarding the comment above above who said:

“I'd just want someone competent, with a grounded sense of scientific reality.”

I’m not how you’d prove that? What if they believed in creation? What if they just had longer hair, wore make up, and were a man who identified as a man?

Not a smear, but I have had a coil replaced by a male doctor. There was a female med student there as well as chaperone.
I didn't especially mind but did find it a bit rich when I requested the local anaesthetic gel as I'd had it when I had my first coil placed and he said that the evidence says it doesn't make any difference (he did still give it me tbf) -fair point on actual effect on pain but if you've ever had your cervix manually opened you know that even a dose of placebo effect is welcome 😂