To think that having a mammogram carried out by a man is preferable to a long wait for an appointment.

[JudithOnHolidayAgain]

I know many people who wouldn't be here now without early detection of breast cancer due to the screening programme.
I have had a few myself.
It's not something I look forward to but it's a few minutes of discomfort that could save my life so I put up with it.
Given the choice I would prefer a woman carry it out as it is quite intrusive but as there is a shortage of female staff I would be ok with a male member of staff as long as there was a chaperone and Iwas told in advance.
If they do change the rules I think there should be a choice.

If it saves me from dying of cancer or gets me an early diagnosis then I don’t care who does my mMmogram. They’re not doing the job for sexual satisfaction. For what it’s worth I had a male midwife and he was fantastic and it didn’t bother me having my boobs inspected by him. They’re doing a job.

If this was an option that women could opt in if they didn’t have a preference then wouldn’t the wait times be shorter for the woman only option?

In theory that should happen but in pratcise I suspect what will happen with NHS is well we only have men and this slot take it or leave it.

With real cancer concerns most will then reluctantly accept and a few really fight for remaing women only option.

However with the national screen program many with low concerns may quietly drop out - as you can see on here many will insists men doing it isn't a barrier for some women - or worse blame women if they do later get cancer.

They'll likely waste money on advertising trying to get more women to take part but ignore why they don't or dismiss it and go for guilt tripping women. If participation rates drop low enough then questions start to be asked about cost effectiveness and whether they catch enough early cancers - and perhaps it should be dropped or be more limited. Which could I suppose free up more staff but at expense of finding cancers early which then means more resources later for NHS.

Unfortunately I knew a lot of male medics when I was 18/19/20. I heard the stuff they used to say about women's bodies. Yes they were stupid young arseholes like most teenagers and young adults, however it filled me with dread about the whole business.

Personally I find that once something has been sown in you when you're young it's almost impossible to unsow it.

Absolutely- I agree that choice should be offered if the alternative is treatment delays. I suppose I’d be concerned that the ‘choice’ might quietly disappear though.

No my thinking it that I really don't give a shit tbh

What an absolute ridiculous thing to say. Women clearly aren’t attracted to the job and the suggestion that women be subjected to long waiting lists because men doing the job would be selfish beggars belief.

Everyone has a choice to request a female (or male) GP, gynaecologist, a female to do their smear test etc. Always has and there would be outrage if there wasn't, for obvious reasons.

If you are cynical enough to be worried about this choice 'quietly disappearing' then that's up to you, but it's irrational, and squeamishness and cynicism over what is actually a non-issue is not a reason to delay other people's life saving investigations and treatment.

This

Did you read what I was replying to?
It was generally about what might attract males and females to particular roles and their motivations.

I didn’t suggest that women be subjected to longer queues, I think you’re mistaking me for someone else.

FFS !!

A man choosing a career in a medical specialism where he knows that many women would prefer a female professional may not be a pervert, but it’s bloody thoughtless and selfish.
A woman could be attracted to such a post to support other women.

@ThisWOMANWontWheesht If there were fewer male gynaecologists there wouldn't suddenly be more female ones. There would just be fewer gynaecologists. Males are not preventing females from training.

You don’t just have the choice of a chaperone if the clinician is male. You have the choice when they’re female too.

Sounds good to offer the choice. People who opt to wait until a woman can see them can choose that and I’ll take my chances and hopefully get seen quicker.
I’ve had plenty of intimate treatment from male doctors and nurses and it’s always been very professional.

There has been no “notion that female healthcare workers are benevolent angels” on this thread. Quite the opposite. If this thread is to be believed, female HCPs are rough, brutal, uncaring thugs and males are sensitive, caring, gentle and respectful.

(See also threads about primary school teachers - men saints, women awful 🙄)

Well there is plenty of info out there re what to expect. However it sounds like you had a poor experience.. which could happen with a man or a woman.
I bet nobody suffering with BC now would be in any way mollified by the fact they were seen by a woman. Early detection prevents deaths.. the more people being screened the better regardless of who does it

Well there’s one about getting hugs from the radiographer and many about how women “understand” and also people saying that a woman going into this field is likely to do so because she understands it’s uncomfortable for women and wants to provide better care for them. So there’s quite a bit.

I think there are good and bad HCPs of either sex.

It isn’t a preventative screening, it’s primarily to detect cancer as early as possible. Around 9 women in every 1000 screened are diagnosed with a breast cancer that wouldn’t otherwise have been detected until a later stage, which in many cases would mean more aggressive treatment and a reduced chance of survival.

You're right.
I think there were many many more about “lovely”male professionals though.

But yes, in real life you get nice and not so nice HCPs of both sexes

I don’t think it is a poor experience. I think it’s the nature of the examination. I’ve had four mammograms over the last fourteen months after a breast cancer was detected by routine mammogram. They all involved being pushed, pulled, manipulated and squashed into positions designed to get as clear an image as possible. Having had a mammogram detect a very large tumour which l wouldn't otherwise have known about, I really don’t understand the problem here. You either have it or you don’t. And if you choose not to, for whatever reason, then you run the risk of late, or too late diagnosis when treatment is more difficult and survival is compromised. I just don’t subscribe to the notion that a male mammographer is somehow just in it for sexual kicks.

It wouldn’t bother me but each to their own.

Mammographers are B6 so not a particularly low position in the NHS.

I think choice is essential. There are women who would not feel comfortable with that at all - for personal or religious reasons, and it would be appalling if they missed exams because they were faced with no choice.

I personally would not mind at all.

I think it's fine if the woman can decide whether she's seen by a man or a woman.
I wouldn't be bothered by having a man do it.

I agree . However, my mammogram didn’t involve any pulling or pushing. I had expected it to be a lot more uncomfortable than it was to be honest . However, I’ve only had one so far so I don’t know if it’s typical and I do have big boobs

"Choice is essential" but if there aren't enough female staff to do it then how does the NHS provide the choice?