New spit test for prostrate cancer...

[ssd]

I know IABU. I know its brilliant this test may mean more men are tested. My family is all men, im glad this will be possible for them.

BUT....how come men get a spit test and we need to get our boobs out and squished or knickers off legs akimbo and something shoved up there??? When are we getting spit tests for all our stuff???

Its not fair

It took three years for someone to tell me that the problems with my dodgy knee are a) probably arthritis, and b) my ACL might be detached. Or it might not. Who knows? The only treatment I was offered was physio but when the physio heard the crunchy noises my knee makes she went pale and said that there's nothing she can do. And that was it.

There are undoubtedly many issues with women's healthcare but it's not exactly red carpet treatment if you're a man either.

Should be able to determine higher risk of prostate cancer in a man just by looking at him - black men at 50 % higher risk. Brilliant article by Steve McQueen at week or so back.
And do a spit or blood test

I did a spit test to check whether I had the BRCA genes. Isn't this pretty much the same, just with the previous success/knowledge being used to obtain population wide data they don't have for men?

I know there is inequality in healthcare with so much medical research based on ‘default male’ bodies and women’s symptoms so often disbelieved and downplayed. But men don’t have it all their own way either - they are less likely to see a doctor about early symptoms and more likely to die younger.

I don’t begrudge men this advance.

What pisses me off more is DP goes to the GP with a random pain somewhere and he gets tests, scans, follow ups.....

I get "how is your home life? Are you stressed?"

FUCK OFF

Similar to a colonoscopy then, with sedation?

Or a hysteroscopy without any sedation or pain relief?

Ok i know i was being churlish and ridiculous. I dont want anyone to suffer.

That screening would miss my DH

Other men are not excluded from having a blood test - any man can request it from GP, go through a set of questions

I did hear the biopsy was done with something that resembles a cheesegrater.

Was just a bloody stupid statement.

It's not.

So my DH doing that was just a figment of my imagination then

I agree that there are a lot of health inequalities regarding men and women but I don’t agree that this is one of them.

Do you have male friends or family? Surely this is good?

Personally, I think it’s great news.

No sedation

It didn’t make me feel any better, especially when asked after being done “was that ok for you?”.

😫😫

From patients who have had both, not similar at all. The ultrasound is a like a giant butt plug and very uncomfortable. Just for extra they then biopsy the prostate through the perineum while the probe is still in.

Or you can biopsy it through the rectum which is similarly bad.

All of them would prefer a colonoscopy.

Firstly I wouldn't agree to a hysteroscopy without sedation/GA. I know that's not routinely offered, but I would insist or go private TBH and pay for that. Some women are very brave and have it "raw" so to speak, but that would not be me!

Is there a reason why a man is not sedated for what sounds like a barbaric invasion (although diagnostic and maybe therapeutic) of the prostate? Again the barbarism involved in some procedures, for male and female baffle me in this day and age, when so many anaesthetics/twilight sedation are available. It's not like the days of the barber pole.

But maybe there is a reason in men's prostate cases. I don't know as I'm female.

OP would it make you feel better to know that my DH now has incurable prostate cancer and has been through endless horrendous tests and treatment because the previous testing was not fit for purpose.

We haven't even touched on bladder cancer in men. Some of those catheters are eye watering.

Honestly I don't think the hysteroscopy issue is sexism. Medicine is awash with painful procedures with no infrastructure to provide sedation for them.

Stop being facetious. You know what she means. Women’s health checks are generally invasive and painful. This is about lamenting the lot of women. Aren’t we allowed that?

Would every med student who might ultimately perform these tests have one themselves prior to qualification? Aye right.

Fentanyl/midazolam sedation and pain relief is very safe and is used widely for many procedures. I am puzzled as to why anyone would have to suffer extreme pain, discomfort and indignity in this day and age. Is there a medical reason for non sedation/GA apart from the patient being unsuitable for it.

Maybe it's financial and or takes too much time. I dunno.

@vandelier I think you nailed it with your last sentence.

Most of Medicine is discomfort and indignity TBH.

@Screamingabdabz but men’s aren’t a barrel of laughs either.