Smear appointment reminder with a Mx

Well obviously I did.
I always responded with ‘ that’s not a question that’s relevant’ or ‘ you really can’t ask that’.
When I invariably didn’t get the job I always wrote and asked why referencing the question asked and I have spoken and written to the ARB about it on many occasions.

Heres a great example for you
We have to be registered with the ARB to practice. Reg charge is made each year.
I gave birth to twins and because I was signed off early in my pregnancy took more than a year off and got a letter telling me my registration was cancelled as I hadn’t paid my yearly fee. I phoned them to say I was on maternity and was told I’d have to sit an exam and do an interview to re register. My money was one day late and there was no give for women on maternity, nothing! I wouldn’t mind but my office usually paid but decided that year it was a waste as I wasn’t working for them at the time🤯.

Heres another
We have to do yearly CPD to maintain registration. My office booked me into a lecture on roofing. I went along (£250 cost) to find out I wasn’t allowed in as the ARB had booked a mens club for the lecture and no women were allowed. What are they doing using a gentleman’s club for their lectures!

That’s the utter crap some of us have to put up with all the time.

apologies OP for the derail

but I do notice many people have no idea how some industries still take the p…
and constantly get away with it even from their awarding bodies.

I wouldn't mind a lesbian doing my smear test at all but I wouldn't let a man do it - even if he was gay. It hasn't nothing to do with sexual attraction.

Chaperone or no chaperone I would never have a smear performed by a male nurse/dr

So patients have the right to a chaperone and in my experience are always asked if they are happy to continue without.

Does this mean that if your medical professional was trans but a chaperone was present, that would be ok?

I have no idea how many appointments I’ve had with male doctors over the years but I’ve never asked for a chaperone.

I mean, why didn’t you take it up with them? Things won’t change if you just let this happen.

Maybe it’s just the text system and they haven’t selected ms/ miss/ Mrs for her yet, she could be new.

I agree if you would have been fine with the nurse being Mr then why did you need to ring the surgery? You didn’t mind if the nurse was a man or woman.

That poster is me.

Ive been in my own private practice a few years now but I had interviews about 5 years ago to continue in general practice for others
It happened at, I would say, let me think, every interview.!! At one they didn’t ask until the second interview.
I even took to removing my wedding ring and keeping my hands down.

and Yes I know they are not allowed to and so do they but they still ask

Yes! Women in architecture is crap!

I forgot to post this link, useful for anyone who needs single sex intimate care.
https://www.caringaboutdignity.org/useful-information/

Well I’m glad I didn’t insist the consultant who performed the emergency episiotomy and ventouse delivery during labour was a natural born woman. Time being of the essence somewhat. Thanks to his skills both me and my baby survived 🙃

This would only be relevant to this situation if you had been alone with this male doctor.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the OP gets banned from their surgery.

For what? She called up to confirm her smear test was being done by a female - loads of people ask for that all the time.

I had male healthcare workers involved in my traumatic birth and tbh I DID care, it did make me feel a lot more uncomfortable and vulnerable and exposed. I had no choice and obviously the priority was my baby and safety in that position… but it still made the experience worse for me 🤷‍♀️

Can anyone explain what is specifically wrong with a woman only feeling comfortable with a female for an intimate procedure? Who does it hurt exactly??

There are lots of women around to perform intimate care. It’s part of the nhs ‘constitution’ that we have the right to chose who carries that out.

If you weren’t bothered if it was male or female, why phone and ask?

No, it’s not. Some women are not permitted or don’t wish to have this intimate procedure done by a male person and that’s a choice they’re allowed to make.

Likewise I had a male doctor for my vaginal birth and sewing up after although no one asked if that was OK ( I was out of it by the time I got to the hospital so in no fit state to say anything )

Would I have asked for a women if it wasn’t so rushed and desperate, yes definitely !

Because it’s about the skills and experience the medical professional has for carrying out any given procedure, nothing else.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the OP gets banned from their surgery. I’m following with interest.

It's really not, that poster must have been referring to years ago as it's definitely not acceptable to ask that nowadays!

Not recently, surely?

Please someone tell me that nobody thinks it’s still ok to ask women if they are married in an interview?!!

I think a healthcare professional going by Mx is absolutely awful and shouldn’t be allowed!

I have no issues with a man performing my smear but I would still like to know beforehand and I know that there are many, many women who would be uncomfortable with this.

How is this relevant to the issue OP has asked about?

What does any of that have to do with this?

Well I’m glad I didn’t insist the consultant who performed the emergency episiotomy and ventouse delivery during labour was a natural born woman. Time being of the essence somewhat. Thanks to his skills both me and my baby survived 🙃

At an interview they are not allowed to ask.
I have been asked and simply said I think it’s irrelevant
The interviewer knew they had no right to ask and moved on.

I think if you appreciate why married women are so often discriminated against whilst trying to get a job you would appreciate why women do not want companies to know this.
Its interesting that they rarely ask if you have a partner, for some reason marriage still defines you are about to have or already have kids!?

I had one that tried to work it out rather deceitfully by asking me had I moved for the outstanding schools…….cheeky!

To correct poster above (sorry can't find post) who said we can't refer to someone's sex, the secrecy clause in the GRA is limited to those who find out in an official capacity.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/7/contents
And there's exceptions to that too eg crime www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/1020/pdfs/uksiem_20211020_en.pdf

It doesn't make the rest of us deny reality and pretend Joe Bloggs who we know is a man, is suddenly a woman just because he says so, is wearing a dress or gets a certificate. You can't force other people to lie or get collective amnesia (trans lobby groups like to pretend it's males who say they are women who suffer harassment, but anyone who has followed this know the death/ rape threats and insults mainly go one way- from trans activist groups towards women). Maya Forstater wrote about the secrecy clause here:

thecritic.co.uk/secrets-and-lies/