Statement from the Society of Radiographers re Mammograms

Sexism is the belief that one sex is less able, less intelligent, less skilful than the opposite sex, usually directed towards women. Not having a screening system where men can be paid to have intimate access to women’s breasts isn’t sexist at all. It’s common sense when the vast majority of women would prefer a female mammographer.

On the question of staff shortages, surely if they trained more male radiographers to do mammograms, they’d create a shortage of radiographers elsewhere in the system.

They don’t need to do this if they have trained up enough female mammographers do they? The question should be ‘how do we ensure we have enough female mammographers’ rather than ‘how can we accommodate males who want to become mammographers’
After all, if there currently are no males doing the job, they would need to be trained up anyway. It’s not like there’s 1000’s of males trained and raring to go!

I also don't care if you don't mind. The people who do mind should take precedence.

I've had a number of procedures done by men because I've have to suck it up. I would rather have had the choice.

It needs to be female only. I don't want any of those men who think they're women joining in either.

It wouldn’t have hurt them to stick to the truth and use women-centred care, would it?

After all, only women, NOT “people” need mammograms.

Sexist? Don’t you think there’s a sex difference in who needs a breast exam? A really clear one that warrants some acknowledgement?

@LonginesPrime ugh that’s absolutely what’s happening isn’t it? Grim in the utmost. And probably to stick it to those nasty bigoted women in revenge. Inclusion for male workers 🤮Won’t anyone think of the poor men?

I don’t mind if a man is mammographer…

I think as long as people can choose… but i suppose it needs to change. Seems sexist

Yes, exactly - otherwise why on earth would you need to write that letter in the first place?

The news article at the time glossed over this by saying

Gay rights campaigner Clare Dimyon, 54, went to the hospital just before Christmas last year for the mammogram, and wrote a letter requesting a natal female.

Which sounds so odd, as why would you attend an appointment and need to write a letter, especially requesting a natal female for a procedure that is only ever carried out by females?

It sounds like they deliberately missed out the key part where she was told a transwoman with a GRC (whom the NHS counted as ‘legally female’) would be doing the mammogram (especially as this was in Brighton).

Ah. This is pretty insightful! And ugh.

Wow, every time I think the bar can’t get lower someone drops it.

I'll say what I said on the other thread: And suddenly Clare Dimyon's letter makes sense.

Wasn’t this motion triggered by the fact they were already allowing males with a GRC to be recruited as “female” based on the confusion over how the GRA interacts with the EA for the purpose of the single-sex exemptions?

For example, this 2023 article in Radiography, the official peer-reviewed journal of the Society and College of Radiographers, written by professionals with NHS affiliations states:

However, current legislation, specifically Part 1 of Schedule 9 of the Equality Act 2010, allows employers to exclude certain protected characteristics (in this case, gender and gender reassignment) based on occupational requirements, permitting the restriction of mammography roles to females only. Furthermore, the Act sanctions the dismissal of existing employees if they no longer meet these requirements, such as a female transitioning to male. Thus, while transgender men and non-binary individuals are encouraged to participate in screening, they are effectively barred from working in breast screening roles based solely on their gender identification.

My interpretation of this (notably the second and third sentences) is that up until the SC ruling, the NHS and the Soc of Radiographers were classing transwomen with a GRC as legally female and transmen with a GRC as legally male, for the purposes of who could be employed as a mammographer in the NHS.

This would also explain the curious timing of this motion, i.e. while other medical orgs are coming out with statements about trans inclusion in light of the SC ruling, why else would one of the few professions restricted to female practitioners suddenly decide that their priority is letting males perform the role? Because they’re already doing it, but their sex in the eyes of the law has been confirmed by the SC as being based on biology instead of a certificate.

I don’t want a man touching my breasts. Is that so unreasonable?

But you might get that better service if no one else wants to see the man.

im any case, I can see why men might want to specialise in breast cancer, it’s so prevalent many men have had family members experience it, also midwives, obstetricians and gynaecologists, anything to do with delivering babies must be very satisfying for many people. But, a job thats just about screening breasts?? I do query why the men who might apply for this are applying.

This, everyone uk should write to them and say they’ve had their response to their motion and should withdraw it, and consider carefully in setting future standards that they not have the effect of negatively impacting breast cancer screening rates and uk women’s health. It is quite clear that motions such as this will have a significant negative impact.

Equity of career access? (From the image). Does this imply it’s not even because they can’t get enough mammographers, but because potential male mammographers are not getting a career choice they might like?

What struck me, when all this hit, was that though in theory, I wouldn’t care about the sex of the person doing it (had a lot of good, male doctors) I am pretty dubious about any man that would choose this as a career. It’s hardly an aspirational thing to do for a man, though I can see why kind-hearted women could be drawn to it.

So the more I hear about this, the more dubious I am about why it’s happening at all.

Pathetic comment

I was raped and sexually abused in my first marriage. If it was a man then I can’t have the screening whether that be a mammogram or gynaecological procedures. Even when it is a women my GP has to give me diazepam.

How about having some empathy

This makes sense . I’m one of those who doesn’t care but if people do care they should be able to choose .
I would prefer a highly trained person and will choose any professional on their competences not their gender .

Wrong their getting a worse service because a man took a place on the training course that should have gone to a woman, he's also taken an experienced female member of staff out of service whilst he gets on the job training from her, then theres the cost of female staff to act as chaperone for this man, those staff costs come from an already underfunded service which means that they are unable to employ more radiographers all.of which actually means a worse service for everyone but particularly for those women who can have a man do this.
Oh and that slot that you can take that they never could should not legally exist as all appointments must be equally available to all women who need them and not just for a privileged lucky few. What you are advocating is a two tier cancer diagnostic and treatment system based on who is willing/able to let a man preform her mammogram whilst taking resources away from women who can't

I think what is being said is, for instance if 9 out of 10 women would only consider seeing a female mammographer, and lets say there was only the budget to employ 3 in whatever hospital etc.

If 1 of the 3 employed is now a male, then 1/10th of women would get really speedy access as 3/3 of the mammographers would be available to them, whilst the other 9/10ths of the women are now vying for appointments from 2 mammographers rather than the 3 they would have had before.

if this extra male came as an addition to the existing stock of mammographers in whatever facility so there were 3 female and 1 make then I wouldn’t mind but when is that ever the case with the NHS?

I think they should make a decent stab at polling the demographic of women who are currently or will soon be having mammograms what they think before training up a load of men.

They're getting a better service. They are getting seen faster because I am taking a slot which they would never have been able to take in the first place?

The Society (trade union) and college (professional body) of Radiographers require the mass of their (female) membership to bow before the altar of woke. This is why they even allowed this motion to be offered up, then even voted upon at national congress. Then so amateurishly publicised this to infer ‘men will do your mammogram’ (many young, ideological, sadly often female staff back this).

This union require me to ask a drunk, hairy, six foot 1 bloke, called Stan, of a Saturday night, if he might be pregnant, before I can X-ray him. He must sign, and SO MUST I. The union, to whom I pay my dues, will not support me if I do not do this.

But, the biggie, young women, my ‘line managers’, late twenties/early thirties, many with young daughters themselves, will, on Monday morning, CHECK I have compiled with this diktat.

This is where we are with this nonsense.

The S/CoR are not fit for purpose.