If you're female AIBU to ask if you're ok with male health professionals at all times and in any scenario?

[DockerDre]

It's just that question really.

#peniscarriers can also be great doctors :)

Yes, fine at all times, any scenario

I used to be of the 'i don't give a toss' opinion. But having seen 3 male GPs for a bleeding issue, it was the fourth, a female GP who got me on the couch, swabbed me, had a look, and made a referral to the hospital. One of the male doctors seemed scared of the words 'vagina' and 'cervix'. I just want a competent doctor, and the only competent one I've found at my surgery is female.
One of them actually admitted he was a bit shit with 'womens issues' I don't think it is acceptable. The female GP might not want to do all the gynae work at the practice, she might want to specialise in elderly care or diabetes or epilepsy. But as long as the men get away with bring shit, she will have to bail them out and spend her time doing swabs they could have done a year ago.

I've requested a female gp before when it's to do with periods, sex, pcos.

Contraception, general appointments etc I'd go to any doctor.

If I was having any kind of hospital treatment I wouldn't mind whether they were male or female. I had a male doctor perform a colonoscopy on me and that didnt bother me

I've had male GPs perform breast and internal exams, a male obstetrician, male midwife, male cardiologist (did an urgent echo on me there and then), male physiotherapists (injury involved stripping down to underwear) and a male sports masseur.

If they're good at their job, I don't care what they're packing in their pants.

Are you always abusive to anyone with a differing view?

Says the person who called those with differing views, bigots!

I'm okay with male healthcare professionals at all times, except for one specific occasion when I requested a female GP. That was due to preceding background circumstances involving my ex. Under normal circumstances, all I care about is that they are qualified professionals. x

I don’t care, but have personally found female doctors less sympathetic towards period issues than men. Equally, I think everyone should have the right to request male/female as a preference - my mum would always prefer a woman for anything “personal”.

Yes. Absolutely.

Having been a medic myself, with a medic father (ob/gyn) - yes I would be comfortable with either sex in ANY situation. However I do empathise and think that if a person is squeamish , their wishes should be taken into consideration as such as possible.

I do think you are overthinking it to say to men see women as an object. Medics see human bodies simply as that - a body, a thing to examine and treat and empathy is not a characteristic unique to female physicians.

I’d probably feel uncomfortable with a male midwife, probably not uncomfortable enough to request a female one though!

#peniscarriers can also be great doctors

That isn’t the issue.

Of course both men and women can be wonderful doctors.

That doesn’t remove the right of body autonomy from their patients, whether male or female.

I’ve had a newly qualified male nurse in with an experienced female nurse for a smear test. He actually did it (was his first one)- didn’t bother me. Have had male GPs for a breast exam too. But I can understand why women would prefer to see a female HCP and that option should always be available

For me health care is the only situation where it's okay to ask for a professional of the same sex as you and that applies to men as well.

Streetwise
Surely it doesn't take much imagination to realise that some women who have been abused, or raped, or even sexually inactive may not want to be intimately examined by men? Calling them 'bigoted' is pretty rude/abusive to them.

Personally I was pretty traumatised by IVF (where I had some excellent male consultants), and since then I have not wanted to be examined by male doctors. If it was urgent I'd have to cope, but anything elective I will ask for a female.

I've had male doctors carry out smears, breast exams, prescribe me anti-depressants, carry out a colposcopy, restitch me after a birth, remove stuck placenta pieces from inside me, do mammograms, place ECG pads all over my body, and take care of me in various scary settings.

I also had my life saved by a male counsellor who was incredibly gentle and understanding.

My GP is a man (he's actually also a friend, and his children are friends with my children) and I'd talk to him about anything.

At this point I can't really think of any way a female doctor would do a better job or make me feel safer, based on my experience.

Plus, I cannot believe that any professional physician would swear at a patient. I have NEVER come across this, and any doctor who did this would be sanctioned.

Honestly I would prefer all female, for everything.

I had constant cysts in my breasts that had to be drained, and it was easiest/fastest to go to Outpatients of lo al teaching hospital. It didn't bother me having a gawping ring of medical students watching the procedures. Though I was a bit flummoxed when the male surgeon asked why my left breast was bigger than the right, and he couldn't grasp why a baby would feed more on that side 🙄

Breasts I'm ok with in a setting like that. Anything more intimate I request a female doctor or nurse. If there wasn't the option of a female I would probably not get whatever it was done until it got really really bad. And maybe not even then.

People can and do die because of embarrassment, so all those huffing and puffing about 'nonsense' need to live in the real world and accept that not everyone is like them.

Post after post on this thread has women saying they do not want to be in a vulnerable position Hercules. This is not a public purse issue, it's not bigoted, its women saying they must have autonomy over their own bodies.

Are you always a handmaiden?

Or is this your patriarchy showing?

FYI - that's still not abuse, not figurative, not literal, just a genuine question.

The female GP might not want to do all the gynae work at the practice, she might want to specialise in elderly care or diabetes or epilepsy. But as long as the men get away with bring shit, she will have to bail them out and spend her time doing swabs they could have done a year ago.

Can you not see this is a consequence though of female patients refusing to see male drs for gynae issues? If we accept that patients are able to choose the sex of their Dr for intimate examinations then chances are that female GPs will end up treating female patients and vice versa.

I don’t care, really. I’ve seen two senior male gynaecology consultants in the past 3 years, trying to fix the injuries left from DS’s birth, and they were both lovely, kind, professional men. If I can deal with that, a male doctor for anything else isn’t an issue.

In saying that, I’d rather see the female GP and nurse at my practice for gynaecological issues, mainly because I do see the male GP regularly for other things. I guess it doesn’t bother me seeing male gynae consultants who I’ll basically never see again in other contexts.

Yep i have no issue male/female. Last time i had a smear it was a man, didn't really think anything of it.

always be available to every woman that she can choose to a see a biologically female HCP if she chooses.

If anyone, regardless of sex, has a preference it should be adhered to.