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.

Rubbish. I can comment if I want to and so can others. I know I’d have no issue with a man performing it. And I don’t believe it’s much more invasive than a smear, a coil fitting, giving birth, a colonoscopy, all of which are routinely done by men with an option to request a female staff member.

Like everything else, I think it would be subject to scope creep so I would never accept or support males carrying out mammograms.

Once it was supposedly an option, not only do I believe women would be pressured into having this done by whoever was there, but the men who dress as women would also be expecting to be allowed to do this once it stopped being a single sex role.

Then there would be pressure to take the appointment with whatever sort of man it was because women are always expected to put up, shut up and be grateful for getting any sort of treatment at all.

Some women who did apply for the job wouldn't get the role because a man had already applied or taken the job, so there would likely be less women available over time, not more.
There could end up being areas where no women worked in that role.

It doesn't matter if a few women don't care, this isn't about a few women, it's about all women and their right to single sex care in vulnerable situations.

I don’t think there should even be a choice - unless exceptional circumstances. It is a male professional. It could save your life.

Forgot to say - I've also seen interviews with a couple of male midwives whinging about some women not wanting them around during delivery. Having read their comments I wouldn't want either of them anywhere near me for any kind of medical treatment, and they clearly need more training on issues around trauma and informed consent.

I’ve had all of those things done - by men - always with at least one female professional in the room - and having experienced all of these the mammogram was was more intimate

The whole point though is that there is a lack of female physicians.

So it will extend your wait time if you want something that is in high demand and low supply.

Not as much as it will extend the wait time of patients generally if they don't allow males to do these jobs.

The people of the UK can't have Brexit, less immigration, lower taxes, AND an unlimited supply of doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals that fit their exact preference of demographics all the time.

We live in the real world here. That's not how things work.

What would you consider exceptional circumstances? And why do you think anyone should be pressured into letting someone they're not happy with touch them?

I'm with you (I know we're not all the same before anyone starts)
I wouldn't care who saw to me, I'm happy with either a man or a woman doing it.
Wouldn't even mind on the day turning up and it was a man.
As long as they're professional and great at their job, that's all I'm bothered about.

Okay I cannot imagine that I would feel the same. Genuinely. I know it involves manipulation of the breasts. I know that. It doesn’t bother me. Genuinely. I’d rather have my breasts manipulated onto a plate than someone forcing my cervix open to fit a coil. I know it takes 5-10 minutes of manipulation (coil fitting also takes that long). I still feel that a vaginal procedure is more intimate no matter how hard my boobs are manipulated or how long it takes. I am not going to magically change my mind once I have a mammogram. I will still be okay for a man to do it.

I thought that one of the ways they tried to encourage women to attend breast screening was by reassuring them that the procedure was only done by female staff.

I haven't had a mammogram yet but iv had breast examinations, breast ultrasounds, ecgs and echo scans and iv actually found male staff to be more respectful then women overall. Iv had the where all women here while ripping a sheet fully of my breasts to do an echo which isn't necessary at all. But then I also did have a male dr choose to come in to introduce himself and shake my hand while having an ecg with my breasts out when I was 15 which seemed unnecessary as I was seeing him straight after. I think its very person dependent but I still think overall iv had better experience with male healthcare workers overall. But just because I don't mind I can 100% see why others do so it should absolutely a choice of the individual and shouldn't be questioned.

I’ve also had all of these and I completely disagree. I just didn’t find the mammogram “intimate” at all. It’s very physical but not at all intimate. I just don’t see breasts as a huge deal though. I breast fed in public. Many men who weren’t healthcare professionals or my partner have seen my breasts because of that!

We want people to accept breastfeeding in public as normal and natural, and breasts aren’t inherently sexual but if a medical specialist in a medical setting with other professionals present can’t do a mammogram that diminishes this entire concept.

And no one is insisting any woman has a male radiographer. It’s just being discussed as an option which could be made available.

Does anyone remember a thread from a few months ago where the OP had her first mammogram and was shocked and upset by it and wanted to REPORT the HCP who performed it for excessive breast handling and manipulation?

No case to answer of course, but her upset was real. It’s very hands on.

Imagine the reaction of some unsuspecting first time patients if their practitioners were men.

Having just had a scare after finding a lump, I wouldn't care who did it, it was a male surgeon who had a chaperone for both our safety and luckily for me I was given the all clear

My Mum said the same about her surgeon too. She said he was very kind and gentle and didn’t make her feel like any question was too silly etc.

It’s surely about informed consent, which means consent in advance, not having situations sprung on women and girls at the last minute involving males and intimate procedures and potential upset.

And an absolute No to men who say they are women being able to cos-play their way into intimate examinations of women.

There’s also the issue of, say, some women of certain beliefs and religions being forced to wait longer than other women to see women for these ‘life-saving procedures’ (to use to so many posters’ words) - isn’t that indirect discrimination and potentially unlawful??

I understand perfectly well how a mammogram is performed because I've had several, thanks, as well as a number of breast examinations and surgery on my breast last month. At no point did I care who was performing any of them, as long as they were qualified. And no, I didn't find them 'more intimate' than a smear test (or indeed any of the other gynaecology procedures I've had, which includes the ones where they have to poke a finger or a transvaginal scan wand up your vag, all done by men in my case).

If you don't want a mammogram performed by a man, that's up to you. Obviously there are reasons why some women might feel personally uneasy about having any procedure done by a man and of course that should be respected. But please don't scaremonger to other women about potentially lifesaving routine medical appointments and imply that it's weird or creepy or scary by default to have men performing them. It isn't.

There are people on this thread talking about male medical professionals treating women patients in the same bloody terms as the Taliban do and it's really, really not helping women in any way whatsoever.

This wouldn't be in the news if the NHS was not planning to remove the female only mammography provision. Women on this thread are repeatedly telling women that male mammographers are no big deal and we should just put up with it. There is a nod to 'choice' but you know that once a service is mixed that choice is hard to achieve. I therefore say once again why is your answer to pressure women to allow men into this service rather than to ask for more women to staff it. I refer to this as 'campaigning for men's rights'

Feel free to replace 'fondling breasts' with 'performing an uncomfortable and intrusive medical procedure involving manipulation of breasts ' if you prefer.

The issue is that there are not enough women available to fill all of the vacancies. I would rather have a man carry it out than have to wait longer than necessary. Imagine having to wait longer after finding a lump?

Women should not be gatekeeping life saving procedures from other women. If men doing mammograms would decrease wait times it absolutely should be offered as an option.

I personally cannot see the issue with this at all. I’ve had male doctors provide care during pregnancy, labour and for urology and gynaecology purposes. All intimate procedures and examinations and I have been happy to receive the care as it has, on multiple occasions, saved my life. These men are trained specialists and I personally want the best care and screening programmes available. If it’s a man providing that care then so be it. There should however, be choice for those we don’t feel comfortable for whatever reason.

Don’t all these people saying it’s fine realise there will have to be a chaperone on every van where there is a male Mammographer? And obstetricians, midwives etc aren’t pulling and manipulating your privates? A mammogram is a very different exam. There are many women who would love the chance to train as an assistant practitioner who can perform mammograms u see the supervision of a radiographer. Why not do that instead of using them as chaperones?

You always get some people who react badly to procedures. I’m not sure it’s going to reassure women to go for their appointment if people go on about how extraordinarily invasive and degrading it is. Uncomfortable yes but for the vast majority of women it’s absolutely fine.
Some people also have horror stories about smears and screaming in pain, being clamped open with large metal implements etc whereas for most women it’s no big deal.

@ItGhoul its my experience sorry it doesn’t match yours - if a man had been doing it, as a survivor of sexual abuse and domestic violence, I would have fled the room.

im not scaremongering I’m sharing how I felt.

We are all saying there should be a choice to have a female mammographer. Just as there is for other procedures. Request a woman if it bothers you so much.
There’s a shortage. There aren’t loads of women who would love to be trained up to do this job.