To think that a hospital should have a female gynecologist?

[crazyspaniel]

My local hospital only has male gynecologists. If I want to see a female practitioner I have to travel 40 miles. In the end I went to my local hospital and found the whole experience somewhat traumatic - the fact that the doctors were male was part of the reason for finding it so horrible and humiliating.

Is it really so hard to hire a female gynecologist? I get that consultants are often of a generation when not many women went into medicine (and particularly surgery), but there are now more women than men becoming doctors and one of the doctors in the room was SHO level (or whatever they call them now), so not of that generation. I really think this is one area of medicine where there should be female quotas and where each hospital should have at least one female practitioner.

The law is that one reason why a job may be advertised as exempt from the sex discrimination act is because 'it is necessary to preserve decency or privacy.' Example jobs given by the government are bra fitter and prison officer searching somebody.

Clearly a doctor giving somebody an internal examination is doing something that has more privacy issues than a bra fitter does.

At airports they have to give you the option of having someone of the same sex pat you down (i made that mistake once, never again, she was a mean woman)

Ok. If you were going to choose a birthing partner between your mum or dad who would you honestly choose?

I don't think that this is relevant-they know you, the doctor doesn't. I wouldn't want a gynaecologist that I knew socially, male or female.
I wouldn't want either parent as a birthing partner.

I think it is relevant as to give you some insight/ understanding into why some women don't feel that comfortable with males

Most people know their parents equally well- yet most would choose their mothers.

"SardineQueen To be precise and it is an important distinction: the alleged rapist and alleged drunk-driver. Both are presumed innocent at the stage we are talking about.

Once the FME has set off to deal with one case she must see it through. There is no other way to run a service of any sort."

I think that a service like the police should prioritise cases. Prioritising is fairly standard practice in most situations, hardly "no way to run a service".

So how do we overcome the issue that women should be able to choose to have a woman examining them, and at the same time, women should be able to choose their specialism in medicine?

Are you suggesting that some women should be forced into an area they dislike, so that other women can get the treatment they like?

Lougle, it is hardly rocket science. We need more female doctors. It isn't as if there is a shortage of people of any kind wishing to take up a career in medicine. It is hugely over-subscribed by competent candidates.

Lougle, women do have a choice. If they want to see a woman and there is no woman available, they can go without.

What I think is that women should be given the choice, wherever possible. I do not agree that this is sexist. I also think that women should not have to explain their reasons for wanting a woman, when those reasons may be deeply personal, HCPs should assume that a woman has her reasons for wanting a woman. I also think that it should be an aim to have female doctors available for rape and sexual assault cases.

Ditto for men, obviously. I am sure many men would prefer a male HCP for some things and obviously that should be accomodated where possible.

I think that we have huge numbers of women doctors -I would think it is about even these days. I expect a 50/50 chance of seeing a woman if I have a hospital appointment. The fact that they don't get so many to the top is to do with the hours I would expect.
I don't think that you can force women into gynaecology-they will opt if interested. Personally I wouldn't go for a branch where people make so much fuss-it would get you down day after day-at least you can look at throats and just be able to get on with it!

I'm not really sure why it would make a difference if the doctor was male/female. They are a professional with a job to do.

How would you feel if the female gynae was gay for example? Would that bother you as much as a male doctor? Or how about a gay male doctor? Honestly I don't see the problem.

The male docs in ours doctors are actually much better doctors than the useless female doc and I quite often request one of them rather than her regardless of what it's for. And for that matter I'd choose my dad over my mum for my birthing partner any day of the week - he's much calmer and more reassuring than my mum!

You would need sensitivity and a woman for rape or sexual assault but not just for embarrassment.
You would expect that the NHS would allow for traumatised women- but if it is mere embarrassment they should be the ones to travel elsewhere.

According to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists:

'What happens if I ask to be seen/treated by a female doctor only?

Any Obstetrics & Gynaecology Department will do their best to provide a woman doctor for you if you state a preference, and it helps if you ask in advance and to ensure your request is included with the referral letter from your general practitioner.

If it's not possible, and the situation isn't urgent, then it may be possible to arrange a further appointment at a time when a female doctor is available for you.'

Which seems much more sensible than the MN crowd answer of, 'we will assume that you are crazy and should seek therapy.'

I think you will find that you "get a fuss" whichever branch of medicine you are in!

It surely can't be quite as bad as this!

Any Obstetrics & Gynaecology Department will do their best to provide a woman doctor for you if you state a preference, and it helps if you ask in advance and to ensure your request is included with the referral letter from your general practitioner.

If it's not possible, and the situation isn't urgent, then it may be possible to arrange a further appointment at a time when a female doctor is available for you.'

The OP knew she would feel uncomfortable.

The OP didn't contact them in advance and ask for a female doctor.

The OP didn't take the option of travelling to a hospital with a female doctor.

The OP is complaining that they didn't magic a female doctor out of thin air.

My mind boggles that the logic of this is not clear:

Either accept the situation or, change the situation. Don't go along knowing that there's a problem, then complain that there is a problem!!!

Yes millyR it is good that the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists take a softer line than many posters on this thread!

The government is also trying to increase the number of male teachers in schools, so why not female gynaecologists.

SardineQueen - what if the only FME on duty is examining another rape complainant or there is none on duty because they have swapped shifts?

kelly2000 The government's bollocks about that will run into the same equal-opps sands.

Remember that ass from the CRE who wanted to pay male teachers in primary schools more than women?

No, the law allows for recrutiment based on sex in cerain circumstances. There is no need to pay people more that is discrimination, but encouraging people to become teachers is different. And in certain cases as I said before the government is allowed to exempt people from sex discrimination laws when recrutining, rape crisis centres being one.
And I think you mean rape victim, the state presses charges, not the victim. And they would have to bring in another FME, that is what they do do if need be. The police try to do everything they can to make the victim feel safe. Telling her that if she does not want a man to examine her she can fuck off home would not exactly be fulfilling their duty.

You can encourage but you must not discriminate at the point of selection. I suspect that rape crisis centres get away with it because nobody stops them.

No, I don't mean rape victim, the word presumes guilt and is incompatible with the presumption of innocence which belongs to the defendant. That is why the correct word is complainant or accuser if you prefer.

Of course the police try to get in a female FME but sometimes there is just not one available. They can't do magic.

MillyR Whoever has said that a woman who prefers a female gynae is crazy and should seek therapy it isn't me.

Are you suggesting that some women should be forced into an area they dislike, so that other women can get the treatment they like?

no, but for every hospital that has x amount of doctors they can say they will hire at least Y amount of females. If that means offering an incentive to get some out of area than so be it. Or even having a female come in once a month to see patients from another hopital.

Some very good points have been made that the law does already allow for gender discrimintain (such as bra fitter or military) so I can't see what the issue is.

To all of you who think the OP must think she's so fucking hot or whatever bull shit was uttered earlier, think on. The more confident you are the more likely you to have fewer issues regarding your body. I'm about a size 20 and wear bathing suits with knee length shirts over me, is that because I think I'm so hot everyone will be checking me out?

There have been some really insensitive posts on this thread

"I suspect that rape crisis centres get away with it because nobody stops them."

?

They "get away with it"? Those horrible rape crisis centres discriminating against men by employing women? Outrageous.

And you refuse to acknowledge that any woman is a victim of rape unless someone has been convicted of the attack. Brilliant! That makes rape a very rare crime.

Andrew if your mum or daughter or sister came to you and said she'd been raped, you'd think of her as a complainant not a victim yeah?