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.

Historically women have had no choice about having a male gynaecologist, @NorthWestToWest, so maybe we have become resigned to it, and are just glad for the women who have entered that speciality, whereas the mammogram service has been run solely by women from the get-go (or from very early on, at least) so we are used to it being a female-provided service, and many of us would see letting male techs in as a major backward step.

Perhaps not the cup size then. I can stand in the way they want but my wobbly belly does get in the way of the lower plate part when I’m facing the machine. It might be the experience of the medical person that gets everything lined up fast?

I am someone who would accept a bloke doing it but that is SO not my experience. Yes gloved hands and no need to touch nipples but much more touching to get the position right and the squash wasn't very painful but the pull on my neck and chest skin was agony. Apparently it is more painful if you have less breast tissue but i have always had plenty and always found it painful....wasn't the technician as i ahve seen many different ones over the years, also a couple of recalls when i went to a different place.

nope, mine are huge, always have been and I have seen many different mammographers.

I’m very short (just under 5ft 1”) and have small breasts so the whole thing is a faff and involves lots of manoevering

They manage to produce it when a man has a vasectomy

Or manoeuvring!

Actually my hysteroscopy experience was different - apt with consultant, scanned (by female with chaperone) review of scan 20 mins later with male consultant and chaperone, straight into procedure room with consultant, 2 female nurses and female student - adverse reaction to LA ( legs in stirrups, bum out, head down, blood pressure through roof, blinding headache and shaking all over) two female staff stayed and cared for me.

this was a Wednesday - op under GA booked for that Saturday- then moved and completed the following Friday!

Me too - just 5ft with small breasts, always involves quite a bit of manoeuvring and very close proximity to the radiographer. No problem with a female, would be very uncomfortable with a man.

I recently had my first mammogram, and I'd have had no problem with it being carried out by a male radiographer. I don't care who does it, as long as they're qualified.
Also, I have a M/F couple of friends, who are both Gynecologists. He is just as good, and experienced as she is. Barring initial embarrassment that my male friend was looking at my vagina, I'd have no problem with him treating me.
I think that, for women who don't want a male worker, that option should be there - but should also be prepared for a longer wait, if a female worker isn't available.

I don't mind having any medical procedure done by male professionals as long as I can have a chaperone. However there are people out there with significant trauma to want to request female only medical professionals to do their procedures. Which I think is absolutely their right to choose. Same goes for males of they only want to see male medical staff to deal with intimate issues. I think everyone should be able to choose who they want to treat them.

I agree with you OP there should be a choice and I personally don't want a man doing my Mammogram I would feel so embarrassed and it would put me off but that's just the way I am and I'm sure there are many people like me.

I think it's inappropriate for a consultant who is a friend carrying out intimate examinations.

Couldn't you ask for someone else?

My gynaecologist is male and am completely comfortable with him but if he was a friend I had a coffee with- no way!

Having my mammogram done by a male is a heck of a lot less intrusive than when I have to go in for my PAP which is done by a male doctor. When my BC was discovered my surgeon was a male, my follow-up cancer specialist was a male, the only female specialist I had was one of the nurses who did my radiation treatment. So as long as they are trained to give mammograms, I'm all for it. Especially as it will most likely mean shorter wait times and BC will be caught quicker.

I don't think the pp was suggesting their friend carried out intimate examinations just they'd <strangely> have no problem if they did.

I suppose it would depend in how large of an area you lived in. I used to see my male GP in social situations often. We didn't chat about medical stuff, we talked about what ever it was that we were attending. I was also friends with his wife.
When I was living in a small town it would have been difficult to not be friends with the local doctors and nurses.

Anyone just generically offended by men carrying out mammograms is in for a nasty surprise if they ever go for a colonoscopy... or fistula surgery... or various other medical tests and procedures involving the pelvic anatomy.

Obviously, it should be a choice - if someone has prior experience or personal reasons for being deeply uncomfortable with a man carrying out a mammogram, they should be able to request that it's done by a female. As with any medical procedure. But it's bizarre to me that this particular one is being debated when many more intimate procedures are commonly carried out by men.

He's not, and I wouldn't think would ever be, my doctor. But, I was making the point that I am sure of his professionalism and knowledge. Doesn't matter that he's a man.
I will say that I've not had any bad experiences with male healthcare workers, so this obviously skews my view to believe everyone is good, until they show you they're not.

Nope, not for me

Why is it necessary? Far more than half of healthcare workers are female.
Why should women compromise?
Why do some men want to do this job?
It all sounds a bit dodgy

You must have the perfect size boobs for being squished easily.

I've had four mammograms. All have taken considerable positioning to get my boobs in the right place.

Maybe some of our experience is down to boob size.

But I don't want any women to feel they have to be kind to men and agree to being manipulated into the machine by a bloke. When actually they don't want to be but feel they should because some other woman don't mind.
Being kind got us into the mess with men in our single sex places.
Let them train more women radiographers.

They are recruiting for more to enter training right now aren't they ? That was the point of their vote to draw attention and to highlight the recruitment process? Right?
It wasn't just men wanting to get into our spaces was it?

Don’t be so ridiculous.

“I don't want any women to feel they have to be kind to men and agree to being manipulated into the machine by a bloke”

Sooo not what is being suggested. Really shameful scaremongering.

What an awful
post.

I think knowing it was going to be completed by a man would actually put me off. I had one completed when I was pregnant and it was uncomfortable, and very personal I was shocked by the amount of man handling that went on. I’d prefer it to be done by someone who understands what’s it’s like. Likewise wouldn’t like a male midwife either.

What’s a male medical professional got to do with men getting into female only spaces? Do you also only have a female dentist as they will need to touch your mouth area?