To ask for a female GP?

[Skylab12]

I've been tracking cycle over the past 6 months as things had become irregular and I've noticed that some of my cycles have been very short, one was 22days! Up until now 12 months ago (I'm 34) I've always been 31days like clockwork. I've also noticed I'm getting more anxiety pre period along with major fatigue, tinnitus, night sweats and nocturnal panic attacks. The periods themselves are not heavier but are more painful.

I don't have a good track record with GPs but think it's worth talking to someone, AIBU to ask for a female? I'm not squeamish, just feeling might be taken more seriously?

For context when I was pregnant with DS(7) I had hyperemesis which was brushed under the carpet by male GPs and I was miserable for 9months, second pregnancy with DD(2.5) female Gp put me straight on tablets and I was able to work and function relatively normally!

good luck. I've had no sympathy from MNers when saying I'd prefer a female GP myself.

I would. I dont hesitate to ask for a female Dr. If I need one. Good luck!

If there is a female.doctor at the practice ask for an appt with them and see if she csn become your primary g.p

Absolutely fine to ask for a female gp.

I'm not sure if it's the same now, but pre covid we could ask for a female GP at our practice.
Judging by a recent experience of having to wait weeks for just a phone call from a GP, I wouldn't hold my breath now. Grateful to get an appointment at all!
Good luck!

Definitely ask for a female GP. Best of luck.

In my experience when I visited the dr about fertility issues the first GP I saw totally palmed me off and was completely disinterested. The second GP was brilliant - took me seriously, arranged bloods etc to be done and set the ball rolling for further investigations. First dr was female second was male.

I asked for a female GP for womens issues as I needed to be looked at - no problem at all. Our surgery has 2 female GPs and I got one of them.

I’ve the last 20 yrs I’ve always had much more care, attention and empathy from male GPs for fertility and gynae issues. Much preferred the male gynaecologists I’ve seen over female too.

By the way - expect whomever you see about to ask the timing of your covid jabs and boosters - it sends cycle haywire. My cycle went to 22 days, 42 days all sorts of random numbers for several months after each jab.

I don't think female is necessarily what you need.

Ask if there is a GP with extra knowledge of or special interest in menopause, that will be more relevant than their sex

I ask for a female if it’s my lady bits.

Luckily there is only 1 male GP at our practice and I have always been seen by female GP's, but I would definitely request one if there was a chance I was to see a male.

You might not get the ‘female’. You expect

@Skylab12

I've been tracking cycle over the past 6 months as things had become irregular and I've noticed that some of my cycles have been very short, one was 22days! Up until now 12 months ago (I'm 34) I've always been 31days like clockwork. I've also noticed I'm getting more anxiety pre period along with major fatigue, tinnitus, night sweats and nocturnal panic attacks. The periods themselves are not heavier but are more painful.

I don't have a good track record with GPs but think it's worth talking to someone, AIBU to ask for a female? I'm not squeamish, just feeling might be taken more seriously?

For context when I was pregnant with DS(7) I had hyperemesis which was brushed under the carpet by male GPs and I was miserable for 9months, second pregnancy with DD(2.5) female Gp put me straight on tablets and I was able to work and function relatively normally!

OP, I have all this and anxiety is through the roof before my period starts. It’s awful. I’ll be making an appointment with my GP too. I’m 37.

Some interesting comments here thank you everyone! They are still triaging by phone at our gp so I may ask receptionist if I could have a chat with someone who has specific knowledge about menstrual/hormonal issues. Interestingly I was just chatting with DH and he is one of the males at work who sits on a menopause support group (so the whole workplace is more knowledgeable) he was confirming that some women had awful experiences with female GPs so it could just be a poor GP/great GP lottery, regardless of gender!

Absolutely fine to do so but I've always preferred a male GP/consultant for gynae, they seem much more considerate whereas the female GPs/consultants have seemed to be a bit "oh just get on with it"

Sorry to hear you're suffering too @User112 😢 it's truly awful and with the cycles getting closer together I just feel so unwell mentally and physically all the time at the moment.

I would too. I've been given male GPS for feminine issues before and they've not been able to help and passed me to over to attend another appointment so I ask straight out now for female gp when needed.

I think it's a lottery! I had more help with menstrual issues from a male GP..........my female gp told me to get pregnant to try and help my endo.....my dh was infertile.

The rudest and most dismissive GP I’ve ever seen was a female doctor for a gynae matter. Went back and saw a male GP a week later with the same problem and it was night and day. He was brilliant and encouraged me to make a complaint about how I’d been treated the first time.

I’m medical myself and completely understand why you’d prefer a GP of the same gender (same for men with urologists) but I don’t think you can generalise about knowledge base/interest on gender lines. Like absolutely every profession under the sun there’s good and bad. I’ve had better luck with male gynaecologists but I don’t think that means that men are better gynaecologists, it’s just luck of who I’ve seen with a particular problem at a particular time.

If you are uncomfortable with a male doctor examining you I think it’s fine to ask for a female but I wouldn’t assume you will get better or more attentive care. I’ve had various gynae issues over the years and I’ve found no connection between the sex of the doctor and the quality of care or bedside manner.

All my bad experiences with doctors have been male gp's, only ever had a good gp experience with female doctors. So I have a huge personal preference for female doctors cos I can't switch off the effects of my experiences, even though I know good male gp's must exist so logically I don't need to avoid them.
So imo you should do whatever you think best, at the end of the day if you're happier talking to a certain person that might influence the consult for the better anyway.
A gp with particular interest /expertise in the problem would make sense though.

I've had great care from a male GP who then dropped the ball on meno issues. I've had great care from a female GP who was enthusiastic about HRT conversations.

Sometimes women GPs assume their own experience is typical- hear 'heavy' to mean saturating a pad in a few hours rather than one hour, for example.

It's a lottery, but if I had to guess I'd say the odds are slightly better with a female GP.

As it doesn't involve an intimate exam, I wouldn't mind too much myself.

I tend to look at the website and find the drs who have an interest in the issue then ask for them by name

If you want to see a female GP you can. You do not have to justify yourself.

But you certainly should see one and ask them to consider early menopause - many, of either sex, will dismiss it as highly improbable because of your youthfulness.