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.

I don’t see an issue with men being trained and allowed to do them, but women should have a genuine choice about whether they are comfortable with a man carrying it out or whether they will wait and see a woman.

Yes please come back and comment when you've had someone squeeze and manipulate your breasts painfully for 10mins. There is not a chance men should be doing this highly hands on test.

Is this a serious proposal?

Well it’s not either or. If some women don’t mind their tits being squished and kneeded into place for a mammogram, by a man, good luck to them and they can tick that box, which would naturally make the other queue shorter for women that only want women. I’d only ever want a woman doing my mammograms for sure.

I had my breasts examined by a male consultant with a female chaperone. It's embarrassing but he is a specialist in his field. I would always prefer a woman though.

I'm not at the age to be invited for a mammogram but the bigger issue is why can't an ultrasound be provided rather than flattening your tits between two plates? Smaller breasted women are offered this.

The thought that it could be a man doing your mammogram would put many women off attending

This is important.
Introducing men into the mix is not necessarily going to save lives. It could actually reduce take up of screening.

I read the thread yesterday and completely understand why some women would prefer another woman to do the screening and think this should be respected.

I wouldn’t mind a man doing mine, after years of fertility treatments, I’ve had enough male doctors carrying out intimate procedures, I don’t see this as any different.

I have also catheterised thousands of men over the last 2.5 decades in the nhs, so I’d feel like a real hypocrite if I was fussy.

I’m not saying no one should comment, but many are who have no idea just how hands on and breast-handly this is.
They may feel differently if they actually had the experience.

Actually I don't. I would want there to be a female admin if there was a male radiographer though.

There aren't already male radiographers trained to do this so it isn't an instant fix. There is a shortage across radiography so I don't think it's such a simple solution. I question the motives of a man wanting to enter this profession.

You absolutely were minimizing.

You sneered at other women’s responses as they were not your own.

You don’t get to say ‘I experienced SA so I can sneer at other women and mock and mischaracterise them as thinking male staff want a fondle’ . That’s an absolutely disgusting comment to make. It’s about flashbacks and trauma.

So if the answer needs to be train more radiographers then why wouldn't you put more focus, grants, scholarships etc on training more female radiographers? Can't see why we are fighting for men's rights to fondle our breasts?

Nope they shouldn't have to wait to see a woman, mammograms should be carried out as per nice guidelines.
Scanning departments need to organise themselves better not get men to do it.

I’m assuming there is a shortage because the pay is rubbish?
If that’s the case would men even apply?

One thought - has this got anything to do with the current push for a US trade deal, which “our” government has apparently declined to rule the NHS out of? At least it has not ruled that out in the news reports I’ve seen. There may be more male gynaecologists there. Here, not so many.

I agree with this.

I've been seen and examined by many male gynaecologists. I've also been to the breast lump clinic so if you'd asked me before I'd ever had a mammogram if I would be bothered if the radiographer was male or female I'd have said no but I've had 2 now and I am so glad the radiographer was female each time.

I cannot imagine being naked from the waist up and having a man standing so close behind me there is body contact and they could be towering over me whilst they manipulated my breasts. It's a vulnerable enough situation anyway but the whole idea of a man doing it makes me shudder.

NO. I don't want males up my chuff either outside the bedroom, thanks.

I've only read the first and last pages, so apologies if this has already been said.
My immediate knee-jerk reaction when seeing this on BBC News was that I would question the motives of male radiographers who wanted to carry out mammograms - basically more or less labelling them as pervs.
Then I realised on that basis you could think the same of male gynaecologists, midwives, obstetricians, in fact any male medical staff who deal with women.
So I had a word with myself and I'm not proud of myself for having those first thoughts.
I don't think I would mind too much having a male mammographer once I'd got over any possible initial embarrassment/awkwardness, but I would not presume to speak for others.

& I don’t want to have to wait months when I’ve found a lump in my breast just because you wouldn’t be happy with a male specialist.

No one is making you have a male specialist, so you shouldn’t insist I’m not allowed one. If I die because my cancer wasn’t caught quick enough because @mumda won’t let me see a male specialist then sorry but fuck you. Stop taking away my choice about my body.

But it's not.
Because some women are better at being kind to other people's feelings than they are their own.

Being kind means standing up for the right for women to ask that there are sufficient women radiographers to be able to meet the demand for breast screening of women.

Some women have trauma, any male touching them can be triggering to them. This isn't saying that the male professionals are definitely going to do anything untoward.

I hate this attitude. In normal circumstances we should all have the right to say who can and can't touch us.

That is very scary: American influence in our healthcare.
American healthcare is a business. Its aim is to make money, not to make people better.

Cost and training was not what I was alluding to.

As a former nurse I am well aware that nurses and radiographers are different and have different training. I am also well aware that a chaperone would be a lower pay grade. You would still be paying two people, unnecessarily, no matter how cheap the lower paid employee was.

I honestly don’t think people understand how a mammogram is performed! It’s not a scan on your boobs it’s really intimate and there’s lots of close physical contact - especially if you have tiny tits like me!

lots of squishing, repositioning, standing behind you moving bits around - it’s totally necessary and important to have but honestly a smear feels way less intimate!

Who’s fighting for men to have the right to be able to fondle our breasts? What utter hyperbolic garbage.

Have you had a mammogram? Not something I’d describe as “a fondle”. & you would have the choice to see a male radiographer, the male wouldn’t have a “right” to your breasts for God’s sake.

& who is out with placards “fighting” for men have this “right”? Do you mean the that it was brought up once in a discussion at the conference for The Society for Radiographers? Is that the “fighting for rights” you’re referring to?

And that lower paid chaperone would be a woman! Why not train more women to be paid for the actual job