To wonder why men work in gynecology?

[CustardC]

Genuine question, my sisters and I were discussing our most recent smear tests and sister 1 commented on how her nurse was male. I've always asked for a female when I book a smear or any type of gyne issues and it's always been respected, but it got me thinking...if there are any men here who work in that field, why?

I'm fully prepared for the backlash that ill probably get but honest question👍

Having been misdiagnosed for months previously. By both women and men.

I've had a few gynae surgeries, all male surgeons. They were fantastic and kind. I wasn't caring who did them nor embarrassed, just so grateful to get sorted.

What on earth do you mean?

I meant that the majority of women who are receiving antenatal care / are in the delivery suite are there because they want to be pregnant. This can make this profession appealing to health practitioners.

@Loopyloopy I imagine she is referring to those with endometriosis, fibroids, polyps, uterine or cervical cancer, miscarriages, tube removal, ectopic pregnancies, hysterectomies, stillbirths, tfmrs, infertility, IVF etc.

Why on earth not? If they're qualified and good at their job that's fine by me.
I don't even notice or care who's looking up there when I go to the doctor's, if they're professional, caring and experienced all good in my opinion.

Question their motives?! WTF, why?!
Male nurses and doctors aren't automatically perverts for crying out loud!.
I find that kind of attitude really damaging, essentially saying all men can't be in caring roles such as doctors, gynaecologist, nursery workers etc as it must mean they might be dodgy. 🙄
FFS.
Keeps us all in our little boxes, doesn't it?! No men in caring roles, leave it up to women instead.

I've got a male friend who became a gynaecologist - he said it was because at the time it was much less competitive so he knew he would get a consultant job quicker/easier and he didn't get into his first choice speciality! DP spent a couple of years training to be one too (gonna be honest... I find that weird!) but switched as he realised it wasn't for him. Said he found it fascinating and got a lot of joy when healthy babies were born etc.

It's only goady, if posters respond that way

And all the pervert priests had Nuns to call women and children ridiculous and harmful when they tried to tell people of their abuse. Yeah yeah not all men. But it is men who commit those crimes and we don't know which is which so why should we have to put up with men giving us intimate examinations?

So what are you saying, that because they're men they shouldn't be allowed to be a nurse or doctor to females because you don't know whether they're a good un or not?!
You can't just discriminate against a whole class of people because of your own prejudices and fears.

Think you’re confusing me with someone else, I didn’t have anything done to me!

Wow you've got issues

Thank God they do. I only ever went to male gynaecologists and I found them very gentle and professional.

You don’t have to explain. It’s your body and your choice. You don’t have ‘issues’ just because you refuse to show your genitalia to a male stranger, just because he has a dr’s badge. The male doctors fully understand and respect your choice, thankfully.

When my oldest DS was born I had a scarey older female obs/gn consultant, unmarried, she was really rough. I wanted to have a vaginal delivery after previous section, she fought my corner,and I got it.The males were much more gentle,(this was 45 years ago) especially in later years. I was nursing 40 plus years, never saw any weirdness. I worked in infertility clinic at one point,you are just focusing on one body area, during examination.

When I did infertility, I worked with the husband (consultant) of a lovely nursing colleague, they were unable to have children,we never discussed the "why".

I’m forever grateful to the lovely male gynaecologist who took the time to recognise that I was scared after being admitted with a cyst on my ovary the size of a babies head that was crushing my Ureter nearly cutting off my kidney and before I knew whether it was cancerous or not (thankfully not). He was so kind. Having been in the hospital systems a few times now I’ve learned to cherish those drs that show empathy, whatever their sex.

A female gynaecologist just said "you need a hysterectomy" with no sympathy or empathy. I was young and had just got married. One sentence that changed my (our) whole life plans and she seemed shocked at my upset response.

I then saw a male gynae for a 2nd opinion. He was empathetic and kind. He listed some options but explained that each one was only temporary and a hysterectomy was the only thing that would actually cure me. Despite being a man I felt he understood what I was going through much more than the previous Dr.

The female gynaecologist said "oh yes, your ovaries will come out too". The male one said "you're very young to remove your ovaries and I'd rather not. I'm not making promises and I may need to remove them but I'll do what I can to clean them up and try to save at least one". He saved both.

If I was asked to recommend a gynaecologist it would 100% be the male one. He had a female nurse as a chaperone every time he examined me but I guess that protects him as much as me.

No
she's still female- that's what is important to me
it's the fact that men, biologically, have no clue what it feels like to be female; it's the fact that men, socially, do not know what it's like to be female and therefore, crucially, how vulnerable we often feel because of a man- often at very low
levels- sometimes not
not men's fault, of course, but the way it is

I’m sorry you were sexually assaulted (I’ve been too). However, the fact you said I don't know why a male would want to do this - I expect there are a range of reasons from the patrician to the perverse. Don't care is disgusting. It is fine to have a preference but most men aren’t rapists! There’s usually a female nurse that’ll sit in during pelvic examinations (for male and female gynaes).

Yep

also, examination of a female is so much more invasive than for a man
not suggesting it's a competition, just something I noted when working in sexual health
if I had an appendage I could just whip out and have one swab taken, then it would be marginally better
in fact, men without symptoms simply had to pee in a pot- no investigation of appendage!
women lie down, legs akimbo, and various swabs taken from various areas of vulva, clitoris, vagina, cervix (which can be deeply unpleasant- anyone felt sick/fainted when cervix involved?? I know I have)- by means of a frigging speculum- not a pleasant experience
look, I have a 13 year old daughter who is all "be kind" etc- she would scoff at what I'm saying
BUT she only has female hairdressers and I totally understand that- I manage to refrain from saying "I told you so: sex does matter" because I'll pick my battles- but at 13, she knows that she feels more comfortable with a female touching her- and we're only talking hair here
In our 20s and beyond, we try putting our discomforts away, we don't want to be the awkward one- we're liberated after all, not like those drudgy older women- a body's a body etc- it's nothing, meaningless
then we have babies, breast-feed, family life, peri-meno, menopause and are told by younger women- as well as some men- that if we ask for a female, we're making a fuss, we're "karens"
it's frustrating and I wish we could open younger women's eyes as I know that they will feel the same one day
ironically, I've had 2 young male gps have to perform intimate investigations on me and both were lovely and clearly embarrassed. This put me at my ease! This is completely normal human behaviour: good, young men should not find treating vulnerable women a walk in the park or exciting/funny/a story to tell.
I hope the poster who's son is helping "bring life into the world" or "creating life" (can't remember exactly what you said), reminds her offspring that there is a woman involved in this- he is not the hero in this story!

I wonder more why anyone wants to work in gastrics. Spending your day peering up people's imperfectly cleared digestive systems doesn't sound great to me. But the point is that some people find it interesting and rewarding, and presumably the same applies to gynae irrespective of the sex of the people concerned.