Smear appointment reminder with a Mx

A receptionist won't have access to personal information on staff records, and even if they did, data on employees' biological sex is not usually collected.

All the receptionist can say is "as far as she knows" because that's all there is. She can't give you more information because she likely doesn't have it. Not sure what else you expect short of her looking between the person's legs.

Just go to the appointment, and if you're not happy with the person doing it on the day, postpone it.

Also, most transwomen would use Ms/ Miss.

Wasn't just asking if she could confirm the biological sex of a NB counsellor to a sexual assault victim what brought the bullying shit storm down on the head of the woman working at Edinburgh Rape Crisis? The organisation ran at that time by a transwoman, who is still working there.

Not a transwoman because no GRC. Can safely refer to him as the man he is.

Yeah. Most vaginas (post childbirth, STD infected, etc) they see aren't exactly going to be in tip top shape. Hardly the stuff of fantasies – often stuff of nightmares.

Same for doctors who do men's reproductive organs before anyone accuses me of shaming vaginas or whatnot.

Keri is the kind of name people who change gender tend to use.

What are you getting at there?
Ridiculous to imply it's because they're perves 🙄

Keri is a unisex name though, not feminine. So could be anything tbh.

Mx can be used to denote a man or woman who wishes to be non-binary.

I was responding to the idea that there might have been a mix-up between "Ms" and "Mx", hence my reference to the beard.

That's because he was rubbish at it.

I've had 6 or more smears by a male gynaecologist and all done expertly and with a genuine 'sorry' if it was slightly uncomfortable.

I've also had invasive investigations (no pain relief which was my choice) and internal scans, all by male consultants and they were caring and lovely.

I don't think it's fair to try to tell women they are all useless or don't care.

Mx is a non binary title yes, but I don't get your example at all –what's having a beard got to do with it? Mx isn't used to mean woman.

Isn't confirming the sex of someone who identifies as NB to anyone a no no? Wasn't just asking if she could confirm the biological sex of a NB counsellor to a sexual assault victim what brought the bullying shit storm down on the head of the woman working at Edinburgh Rape Crisis? The organisation ran at that time by a transwoman, who is still working there.

It's ridiculous but the person at the clinic may have stuck their neck out by answering the OP's query.

Nope. It's a non-binary title. I've seen it at work. Never met the bloke, but his cartoon pic (on his name plate) showed him with a full beard.

Isn't it just a typo? S is literally next to X on the keyboard.
Mx Keri instead of Ms Keri?

Playing devil's advocate here, some automated systems insist that a 'title' is added to a person's name (e.g. Dr, Ms, Prof). If you don't select one, it can't cope so adds a generic title like Mx.

That doesn't help you, I know, but it's not necessarily obfuscation - just a computer system that has to have a title.

You can also ask to have a chaperone for any medical appointment - either a friend/relative or a member of practice staff (of your own sex, if you ask). You can also request care from same-sex practitioners, if it's available.

Fwiw - and I'd offer feedback to the practice on this. It isn't transphobic to ask that you receive care from someone of your own sex, where available. Lots and lots of people - for religious or cultural reasons - prefer this and will ask for it. There's a male nurse at my practice and both when booking appointments and at the appointment itself reception staff and he always ask if I'm okay with being treated by a male nurse (and I am).

Ask that staff name and sex is included on the website. My practice does this. It's especially helpful when staff have names that aren't obviously male or female (e.g. traditional Sikh names can be be given to boys or girls, or more modern English language names like Morgan or Taylor which both men and women can have).

You were told they were a woman and you still tried pick a fight. What did you want the receptionist to do - send you a photo of the nurses fanny

It's been used for a few years to indicate "Non-Binary".

I've seen it once in real life. Did a bit of supply at a secondary school. The class was shared by two teachers, both absent.

They had laminated name plates that they stuck on the door when they were in. They were both stuck on the wall to the rear of the teacher's desk when I was there. One just had the name: "Miss [name]". The other had a cartoon of a bloke with a beard and "Mx [name]."

The quickest way of finding the class on the e-register was via the teacher's name, so I asked the class "Is this one of the days you get "Miss [name]?"

Boy: "No, we get Mx [name] the day. He says it's our fault he's not well, but we know he's on holiday with his boyfriend." I decided to go temporarily deaf at that point.

The e-register includes the teacher's title: it allows you to choose from "Miss, Mr, Mrs, Ms, Dr, Prof" or "Other".

Apart from Mx Monroe I've encountered it maybe 3 or 4 times in 10 years working in the advice sector. All sounded female on the phone.

Walking out on the spot is all very well but I travelled an hour for a mammo recently. I don't want to go all the way and then have to walk out because Keri or whoever is a man. Small chance I agree. But I don't want to be examined by a man. No trauma; just don't want to.

"Transmen" are women as in adult human females. If you list "women" and "transmen" separately you turn "woman" into a gender identity - that is, something nebulous in an individual's brain - rather than a sex. Many members of this forum find this highly offensive.

You are perfectly entitled to ask and I work in this area and always say if Male or Female if asked. It makes a huge difference to alot of people for many different reasons.

I first saw this years ago on an online questionnaire I had to complete before a dental appointment.

All sorts of reasons I imagine, an area of medicine they have found they excel in? I for one am grateful to the male consultant whose expertise made it possible for me to have my child after a period of infertility, and wouldn’t like to think that he could have been dissuaded from his field because of his gender.

'I do know Keri and I can assure you that she is female.' sounds quite conclusive, but given the Mx and the rest of what she said, I'd be cautious and turn up fully prepared to leave the appointment without having been 'done' if necessary.

Good advice above though about making your boundaries clear and leaving a paper trail.

What has the world come to when as a woman we are too afraid to ask and have confidence our doctor for the test is a woman and a biological one at that.

The only way around that as far as I can see, is use their own wording. 'were they assigned female at birth'. As much as it would make my hackles go up.

Didn’t know Mx was a thing. Never heard of it.