To be surprised my health visitor asked this

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DD2 has just had her 6 month check. The health visitor went through a list of questions, mostly stuff I'd expect, but one was whether I was up to date on my smear test. I was surprised as I thought these appointments were about DD rather than me.

Apart from anything else, isn't it a bit sexist to assume they're going to see the mum rather than the dad? DH took DD1 to her 15 month check as he was her primary carer (I was the main earner) at that point. Bet he didn't get asked whether he'd had a prostrate exam recently.

When you go looking for problems, surprise, surprise, you find one.

It's 12 weeks now

If I was four I wouldn't be asked about this.

You're massively overthinking it. It's a real shame that people allow their desire to be offended/have something to complain about get in the way of common sense.

Lots of women don't keep up with their smear tests. HV checks are a point of contact between the NHS and large numbers of women. This clearly provides an opportunity for lots of women in the applicable age category to be reminded of the need for smear tests and to be encouraged to attend. The NHS aren't making an assumption that it's always mothers who attend appointments; even if it was only mums half the time, this would still be a large number of women and a prime opportunity to talk face to face about smear tests. Presumably the HV would not ask if the appointment was with a man 🙄

Years ago my dad was given a leaflet about prostate exams by a firefighter who was making door to door visits to offer free smoke alarms. They didn't know who was going to be at the house. They were just giving the leaflets out because the government knows that this is a way to reach large numbers of people in the course of delivering another service.

It’s as much her concern as every other question she’d ask. It’s her literal job that she’s been invited in to the house to do. This is as dumb as saying you’d refuse to tell a builder when you’d last had your damp course done because it’s none of their concern.

Because it's also about post natal health, contraception, how well mum is managing etc. The mums give birth, not the men. Why do some people look for PC faults in literally everything! just appreciate people are looking out for you and your health

You understand that your wellbeing is integral to your DD's?

Were you to die of cervical cancer it would negativity impact her.

They also usually ask about alcohol consumption and smoking etc.

🙄 she was just trying to be helpful surely. This isn’t something to find an issue with or some gender thing OP.

I was told six weeks when I had DD and she’s only 6mo now.

Why wouldn't you answer a perfectly reasonable question, by a health worker?

Sheer bloody awkwardness?

I couldn’t remember if it was 6 or 12 - either way, my son is 1 and I’m seriously overdue so thanks for the reminder op 😂

Oh good lord, the emotional blackmail lever again

btw, as many people don't seem to know

the GP does get money for hitting targets here

there an alternative to a smear but you have to pay - you can do a self swab HPV test as they only look for HPV now.

sorry to be patronising but a screening test is exactly that. It's not a diagnostic test. As with breast screening, unclear results may result in unnecessary treatment.

What an utterly random thing to query. Is it so odd to include asking questions about the baby’s mother? Especially given the pregnancy and/or labour may have left some medical issues (eg missed smear test) that are common to mothers who have just given birth. Not like she asked if you had a verruca.

You have made an issue put of a total non-issue.

I don't remember my HV asking me but I did get called up to the docs - 6mths after having my baby to have one.

I don't think it's sexist - but more something to do with the Mum being the one who carried and delivered the baby....

If this is really playing on your mind, why not campaign for your local heath authority to put ‘have you had a prostate examination’ on the list? Personally it seems like a lot of fuss to do that, and a lot of expense. Most people could judge who they ask the question to, but they’ve all been trained and if they’re nervous about asking they can say ‘apologies, this might not applicable, but it’s down in my list of questions, so just have to ask’.

Some people literally look for anything to be offended about

OP didn't say she was offended, she was surprised.

But WHY wouldn’t you answer @GinIronic ? Why do you see it as an intrusive question?

God this is the reason women don’t go for smears because so many feel it’s embarrassing to talk about vaginas outside a sexual context.

Would you think the same if your GP asked you?

she isn’t asking because she’s been nosey. She doesn’t actually care/isn’t interested. She’s doing her job, which funnily enough involves asking this question as part of her public health remit. She hasn’t gone rogue and just decided to start asking of her own accord. This will have been decided locally/nationally to ask this question.

Surprised a health professional asked about her health?

Lets hope she doesn’t ever take a trip to the GP, she’ll probably end up passing out with shock.

Well, it was on her list of questions, a printed sheet she went through. So whoever wrote the sheet clearly assumed she'd see the child's mother.

Oh stop trying to create a drama out of nothing. I'm pretty sure there would have been a 'if male, not applicable' box to tick.

Nothing to see here.

A very pertinent question to ask to be honest. Smears save lives, and when you have kids you don't want to turn down tests that may help save lives

Every contact by a health professional counts an opportunity to promote screening and other preventative health measures, which is particularly important in the current climate.

For all you know, the printed sheet has an asterisk on that question saying something like "Only ask this one if the child is with their mother".