My doctor doesn't "do female problems"

[Polkadotbikinininii]

Phoned to book a Dr's appointment for my daughter about her periods. After going through triage with the receptionist (for literally 10mins) I was told that the Dr who is on this week "doesn't do female problems" and I need to phone back next week to make an appointment with a different doctor. I can't book that appointment today though.

Can you imagine a female dr deciding she doesn't want to deal with problems potentially affecting half the population?!

On the other hand, at least he won't be dismissive or try to mansplain

Agree there will be specialisms. That is fair. But it's not exactly a niche issue. Sort their staffing so women can get an appointment.

Sounds like something out of the 1950s! What about women who don't have husbands?! Do they not count? Why should a doctor only take you seriously if you, as a woman, have a man with you?!

The more I hear about this, the more I despair. I spent five hours at A and E yesterday, with chronic back pain. I got chatting to a man in the waiting room. After I was completely fobbed off by the doctor, and told the man I had been chatting to about it as I was leaving, he said to me I know this sounds bad, but next time, bring a gobby bloke with you. Then they'll listen to you. He seemed nice and was trying to help but I can't help but think it's time some of the medical profession stop dismissing women's pain and medical issues and take women seriously without having to have a man there to back them up.

Yes, that's a good point that it might be the receptionist who is at fault here rather than the GP.

None of the different GPs that I saw at my surgery connected my debilitating symptoms with vaginal atrophy due to menopause. One even sent me to the “wrong” gynaecologist who didn’t have a clue either. It was so bad I was weeing every 5 minutes, stinging with pain. I spent 4 years like that. Finally did my own research and asked the GP to prescribe me estrogen cream. Even he didn’t know how it should be properly used. Lucky I’m smart but I’m sorry for other women out there going through what I went through x

Jeezo, that’s almost funny. He’s a General Practitioner isn’t he, not an, eg brain specialist, you were trying to see! FFS, talk about entitled. Wonder how the rest of us would get on if we just refused to do the bits of work we don’t like…. I would defo be complaining - while seeing someone with more empathy and knowledge!

How is it that females are over half the population. Without us there would be no population yet still our bodies are a mystery to the medical world.

😎

Or another way to look at it, is that saying that female gynae issues is NOT a specialism ( unlike other areas of medicine) is derogatory to female health issues, and is part of not seeing female health as important as default male health.

As may others have said, GPs do have specialisms, why should female gynae not be a specialism too?

My DH was told that he'd have to speak to a male GP to book a vasectomy.

She said nothing about the other dr having a specialism. It was about THIS dr not dealing with it.

There are only 2 Dr's in the surgery plus some locums. So I doubt they are specialists.

I've no idea whether the other dr is female or not. They've all changed since I went last.

Yes, the booking system is rubbish.

I think it depends. If a doctor just refuses to deal with something that isn't right but on the other hand if there is a doctor at the surgery who specialises in certain areas is that a problem - I don't think so.

Couple of examples, I had some lesions appear on my skin when one got weepy and inflamed I saw the pharmacist who said I needed to see a doctor. Contacted the surgery to make an appointment with my GP, when I explained the issue I was told you need to see Doctor X not Doctor Y as he deals with skin issues. I saw him, never seen him before, he explained he was from a hot commonwealth country with a large white population and he'd seen many times the number of issues than the other doctor. He took one look at the lesion, explained the best and worst case scenarios and referred me to hospital. Lesion was removed successfully.

I am notorious at my local surgery as it is so hard to get blood out of me, on one occasion the phlebotomist, the nurse and my GP couldn't get any. I was told you need an appointment with Dr Y, he was an anaesthetist before he was a GP and can get blood out of a stone. Sure enough he did it quickly and easily.

Years ago I was pregnant and again was told my GP didn't do antenatal care, I saw the doctor who did all the ante natal, post natal and baby clinics. It was his speciality.

I can't see what is wrong with the three examples I gave, it seems efficient to me.

Specialist and Proven ✅️

Asked woman for a date after a gyne appointment being the least bad misconduct.

⬇️

www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5282387-dr-ali-shoukouh-amiri

you do know what the "G" in GP stands for, right?

They handle the conditions that come under "G" and pass on and refer the conditions they can't. "G"Ps should be able to either handle or refer "women's issues" regardless of their sex.

Otherwise they aren't fit to practice as a "G"P.

(my GP used to be a surgeon, so anything that they can handle in the practice with minor surgery is pounced upon with great glee. That doesn't mean they turn eveything else away.)

I had a FEMALE triage nurse at A&E tell me that the blood in my urine and agonising kidney pain was probably just 'because you're a woman.' Whispered for effect.

She was easily in her 60s! How she got to this stage of life without realising that you don't piss your period is beyond me.

For goodness sake! Would it be ok for the Gp to say 'I don't do UTIs because urology is not my specialty'? Or no ear infections because he's not ENT? Period issues are general medicine and he can refer on to gynea if it requires more specialised input. This is not how general practice works at all. Absolutely a complaint OP.

Because all science was owned by men for many years and the female body was far too complex so they defaulted to the male body with extra bits!

Like the lazy gits they are and in 2025 here we are!

Medical students still not being taught about women's bodies and the plastic pelvis they use to demonstrate child birth is still in some unis a male pelvis.

It would be funny if it was in a history book.

but, unlike where i am, in the UK you can't rock up to the OB/GYN and make an appointment.

If there were solicitors who were like GPs who then passed you on to a specialist in divorce, that would be a good analogy. As it is, it's a rubbish analogy.

I think women in the UK need to push harder to be allowed to go directly to an OB/GYN if doctors are allowed to cut off half the population like this.

So if there is a doctor who has had specialist training in a particular area you think that should be wasted and you just see anyone? Personally I've been very glad of the GPs with specialist knowledge. The NHS is under pressure, if a GP with specialist knowledge can correctly diagnose, treat and where necessary refer to hospital that is an efficient use of resources.

In our drs surgery there is a gp who specialises a in gyno issues / contraception etc - this is prob what he means.

besides I’m guessing because you are booking the appt rather than she is - she is young / a teen - does she care whether she sees a male or female? My daughter would only want to see a female.

They aren't "cutting off" half the population. You do realise that women see their GP for things that are nothing to do with gynae problems.

In our surgery we have GP’s that lead on specialities.

Personally, so long as I was seen by someone in a timely fashion this would not bother me.

Honestly gps can’t win - I like the fact our surgery has gps who look after special interests like gyno, peds, muscular skeletal etc.

If it were an issue of specialism, the receptionist should have said so, and booking procedure should allow for an appropriate appointment to be made. Why are we still making allowances for and trying to excuse shit like this. It isn't an acceptable way to speak to or treat patients.

i would like to know how many of them say "sorry, don't do 'mens issues'" then?

god it is depressing how many people here just don't want to advocate for better health services for women.

(pp with skin lesions: you had been triaged by a pharmacist. So ok to be told to book Dr Y instead of Dr X. Hope everything is ok - my GP spotted a lesion, and sent me immediately to a dermatologist who saw me in his lunch break due to referral and now i go every 6 months for a whole body check. I don't go to my GP now for skin issues)

ETA: the issue isn't that a GP practice with more than one doctor has doctors who specialise in things. The issue is firstly "doesn't do female issues" which is an absolutely APPALLING way to speak to a patient. Secondly it is "come back in a week to see other doctor" and then not immediately (being able to give) making an appointment. It is utterly shoddy. For me as a teenager it would have meant a week of absolute flooding, headaches and the "period shits". Nice)

Had exactly the same response from a male doctor when wanting to discuss menopause.