Morrisons breast screening

[AnotherWeasel]

Is is unreasonable of me to feel so offended by the idea of breast screening in Morrisons car park?

I'm 52 and just received an appointment that I wasn't consulted about. I just hate the idea of it. This is my local Morrisons, where I shop, where I frequently run into my awful ex-boyfriend, my estranged mother, the work colleague who sexually harrassed me 10 years ago, friends, neighbours, my postie etc, etc. And there I am, waiting beside the enormous van, emblazoned with bright breast screening decals, clearly about to strip off and have my breasts squished and examined. It all seems so undignified and makes me feel vulnerable and powerless.

Obviously, as a mum I've had to have all my bits on display and poked about with, and again I do think we are generally treated like objects or at least like we are supposed to be mature and sensible and absolutely fine with any sort of indignity that is imposed on us in the name of good sense. But at least that was in a hospital.

Yes, I am a grown woman and absolutely can put on my big girl pants and just do it for my own good. But I really feel quite oppositional to doing that. I feel like women are expected to just be ok about decisions others make about our bodies and that our dignity and privacy isn't important. It seems so disprespectful to us. I can't imagine men being invited to a prostate exam in a van in a supermarket carpark. I feel that, out of principal I don't want to do it, because the more women say 'that's ok, I can put up with a little indignity' the more other women feel pressured into a situation they really aren't happy about. Already, I feel that if I refuse this and ask for a more private screening, I would be seen as being difficult, silly even, and asking for special treatment. And I don't want special treatment, I want all women to be treated with due respect and consideration when accessing intimate medical care.

To be fair, I am a very private and anxious person, and I do have a problematic sexual history. So, I guess I may be influenced by this. Certainly, I am quite surprised there doesn't seem to be any women complaining about it. And I wonder, is it because most of us don't give a hoot, or are there many, many women just quietly missing out on screening services rather than make a fuss.

That's ridiculous. If you want "nice" go private. I'd rather rather focus on my health.

Tbf, there is one group of people that I wouldn't want to see me waiting for the mobile breast screening clinic.

The group of women that would clearly be judging me, because they seem to think it's undignified.

It sounds like you are embarrassed that somebody may see you going into the unit.
You do not have to be embarrassed to have breasts, or to let anyone know you are checking you’re breasts for cancer. Quite the opposite. Most people wouldn’t blink twice if they happened to see you go into the unit. It will happen to all women at some stage.
I’m so thankful we have them and when I get to the age where I’m called for one I will be there at my first chance whether it was in a hospital ward, a secure unit in a supermarket or a Primark fitting room!

@AnotherWeasel just ring up the screening team and rebook for another venue. It's not that difficult.

I've just been for a lung screening in a mobile van that was in a car park in a very rough part of town. It wasn't even in a supermarket car park fgs! I was slightly worried leaving my car there to enter the mobile. But you know what, I'm just glad that these things are available to us because they save lives. That's what you should be thinking about OP.

I think your reaction to the vans is quite emotional, OP. I’m not trying to castigate you for that. You feel what you feel and you’ve mentioned some history which might have been a significant influence on how you’re reacting. But I don’t think most women see it the same way and it’s not because they’re thinking “I can put up with a little indignity”.

The vans make getting screening easier for a lot of women. Far from putting women off, they’ve been part of a somewhat successful campaign to increase the number of women who go to screenings. Which isn’t to say that there won’t be other women like you who find the vans less suitable, but it’s not some kind of cost cutting/don’t care about women decision making by the NHS.

I think most women don’t really see mammograms as that undignified, overall, even if they’d rather not be subjected to the discomfort of being squished and prodded. They aren’t embarrassed that people who know them are aware they have mammograms or that doing so involves their breasts being uncovered and squished.

And many women are pleased, generally, that it’s now okay to have a van covered in images of breasts promoting screening and we don’t cover up “women’s issues” behind furtive glances, hushed tones and incomprehensible innuendo that left many women ignorant of their own bodies. Acknowledging what’s involved in being female is not as taboo nowadays as it used to be for the women being called in when breast screening started 40ish years ago.

“I can't imagine men being invited to a prostate exam in a van in a supermarket carpark“

Well we have both man van and this van can (this one specialising in prostate, breast and ovarian cancer screening).

Exactly what I was going to say.
they are not forcing you to go there, just ring up and rearrange the appointment.
if they came and forcibly collected you from your home and forced you to Morrisons carpark and made you go in the van and strip off then we'd all be complaining with you, but it's an invitation to screening.
You can rearrange or you decline, it's your choice.

Where could the mobile unit be in your town that you wouldn't be equally likely to bump into people you know (and have you considered your mother might also have an appointment?) I think you are being very unreasonable to think the location is a problem, their entire goal is to get a good take up, so if they didn't they wouldn't be there.
However you are NOT unreasonable to be personally uncomfortable, in which case I believe you are free to ask for an appointment elsewhere, I'm pretty sure when my mum got these letters it was a "can you' not, this is your only chance ever to get the rest. Getting angry that you don't think you should even have to request a different appointment is unreasonable. For a start, you might be busy on that day. If you are willing to travel then you could just ask for one in a different town where you know less people, or ask for a hospital based appointment. I really don't think anyone is going to be thinking twice about it, let alone thinking you are fussy and unreasonable (unless you go off on the phone like you l have here) and honestly, even if they do think you are weird, it's a random person on the end of a phone you will never meet. Who cares?

As a side issue I'd like to thank Morrisons for letting the NHS use their car park, they let them use it for Covid testing and now breast screening.

Op, your arrogance at not getting your monies worth from the NHS is breathtaking. All I can say is lucky you at not needing to!

Stop being so tight and pay for a private screening then 😂

I’m involved in screening programs and trials for cancers that predominantly affect men. We have screening vans in sports venue car parks.

The walls of the screening unit are not made of glass.
Attitudes such as this dismiss the efforts of NHS staff to bring services to the community in a timely manner. There isn't the capacity in hospitals to deal with the numbers
Screening and vaccinations are the sucess stories of medicine and disease prevention, yet abused by people who either think they know better, or don't like where services are delivered. Then they wonder 'why me' when they get a preventable disease or one that could have neen caught early through sceening
Would you feel happier if the van was in a Waitrose car park?

I'm not sure what's so embarrassing about going for a breast screening?

There is one at Junction 32 shopping village, I don't see the problem? Lots of women go to supermarkets, I think it's easily accessible having it done in a supermarket car park. Get your shopping done then whilst you're there grab a check, sounds great to me.

It isn't 'hundreds of pounds a month in NI'
Get a grip. Look at your payslip and tell the truth

I'm coming up to the age where I'll have mammograms.

My local BS mobile unit parks up in the leisure centre car park where my son swim trains 9 times a week.

It only ever occurred to me I could probably time this apt well rather than that all the other parents and swimmers will see me enter!

Although it's a common theme between all us mums that we've often wondered if we could just get a group screening booking one evening (or 5am!) and have coffee cake and a scan!

I am a victim of SA so I get that. But I'm also the DD of 2 parents who have had cancer and one died young of it.

But otherwise be bloody glad (as I am) that this procedure is being treated exactly as it should be in the first instance...like a trip to the shops!

Love this. That's a great way to get people on board. "Screening is as simple as a trip to ....."

Maybe you should pitch that to them. We all know random screening is the preventative medicine there is.

I'm also glad you're doing well.

You're not getting your tits out at the tills.
Our one parks at Asda.
Makes it accessible for many women.
Count yourself lucky.

How weird. Why would you be offended with that? It could save your life

I had my first mammogram in local hospital for some reason whilst most friends had them in the van in a car park. 2nd was in Tesco carpark and 3rd in van in hospital carpark.

They were all similar experiences apart from the hospital was a pain as had to leave ages was was quite a distance relatively and parking is tricky.

It's free at the point of use which, when you need it, is what matters.

NHS has been using mobile medical units to bring services to people pretty much since its inception - the first being mobile vaccination units, and possibly the best known being blood donation vans and pop ups. Screening services have been using them for decades, and it's a testimony to the improving kit that more can be transported and used in this way.

It's not a temporary solution, it's a deliberate way of making preventative services more accessible.