Male hospital staff

[ToadRage]

I don't really know how i feel about this or if I'm just being a bit precious. I had an appointment for a transvaginal ultrasound a couple of weeks ago. I was a bit shocked to find the sonographer was a man. A female nurse was present and she did all the talking, he barely said a word to me. I have had ultrasounds before but they have always been done by women. He was professional and nothing out of the ordinary happened but I felt a bit awkward as I haven't had a man down there except my husband in 20+ years, not even a male doctor. Am I wrong in thinking I should have been told it was going to be done by a man, maybe given the option to request a woman or AIBU?

I’ve actually heard this comment from blokes when I scan their testes

I had to go to a doctor with an STI once. It was a male doctor. He took a swab. I will never forget that he looked sexually aroused whie doing it. His eyes widened and he began to breathe faster.

I also never forget a female doctor telling me that the biggest perverts in her class decided to become gynaecologists.

I would absolutely ask for a female if it was me

That's awful

I've never known men perform vaginal scans. I'd expect patients to be told beforehand and given the choice.

Hospitals do need to think more about how women feel.

I remember my mum (who was extremely beautiful) said that when she gave birth, a doctor just came in with 6 male medical students and they all stared at her vagina.

She wasn't asked for her consent.

I think thats sad. I wouldn’t want to wait longer too be seen because another doctor had left. I remember how much my nerves were wrecked waiting on that appt.

This cracked me up, @Bulbsbulbsbulbs ! You've got good self-control, too, when a funny response enters my head, it's out of my mouth before I can stop it.

I know I'll remember it and get the giggles if I ever have to have a male doctor/sonographer/whatever poke anything up my vaj.

Nothing like that has ever bothered me, but I realise some women feel very differently and should always have the option of a female health professional for any intimate exam or procedure.

I mean i would prefer female everything. I would prefer female paramedics.

I went in an ambulance to hospital once. One of the male paramedics chatted me up and asked me was I single while I was writhing in pain.

I had a young male radiographer carrying out my TVUSS, didn’t bother me. Female chaperone present. Also male GP did an internal in similar circs. They must see 100s of fannies. But you can refuse and rebook with a female I’m sure

Can we insist on having a femae chaperone present? Because a male doctor examined me down there, no female chaperone present. I would have liked a woman to be in the room

It’s pointless writing a post about how often the practitioners have seen everything before. It’s not about them. Of course you should be accommodated if possible. It’s hardly unusual to not want a male performing intimate procedures. Male patients request male doctors for religious or cultural reasons and presumably their wishes are respected.

DS has just had major surgery. All the nurses and the surgeon are women. Honestly, they have to help him with toileting and so on. There are so few male staff in the HDU that they simply couldn't give a choice if he expressed the preference.

Yes you can absolutely insist on this and it's very unusual for one not to be provided ime

In a GP? I was in a GP's office, not a hospital.

I had one two weeks ago and it was a male sonongrapher. The appointment letter said it could be a male doing the scan and if you were concerned you could ring and request a female. Personally it didn't bother me I was just grateful to finally get the scan. I also find male medical staff are actually gentler than females!

YANBU I don’t think male gynocology staff should be an option, women shouldn’t have to ask for women staff either. I was told I could have a female alternative when I rang concerned at having an appointment with a male. Was made to feel troublesome for having rang and told there would be a wait if I wanted a female doctor.

what do you mean, male staff should not be an option? You want to ban male from an entire area of medicine? Are you for real?

The weirder part is him not speaking to you, he really should have explained what he was doing and why and gotten your consent.
You’re entitled to request a female practitioner but they may not be able to offer you the scan there and then depending on the availability of sonographers.

I work in a sexual health clinic. We have both male and female drs and nurses. Some patients have an alert on their notes if they don’t want a male clinician etc.
When a male clinician sees a patient they will always have a female chaperone present and the patient will always be able to decline to be examined by a male. If this is the case then they will then have to re book and attend another time as the female clinicians will have a full list of patients so won’t have time to see them at that time.

it happens but it’s rare as most are just happy to get an appointment!

Face to face and in intimate areas sorry the default should be female staff. We should be encouraging more women into the field and prioritising them. Men have zero idea of the pain and realties of female areas. At the very least there should be a presumption you’ll be seen by a female and an alert if you’re allocated a male with nice staff ringing you, apologising and offering you a later date with a female.

I found it uncomforatble enough having a woman stick a scanner up my vagina. I dont think i would be able to take a man doing it

Encouraging more women is one thing

Men have zero idea of the pain and realties of female areas - and by experience they tend to be more gentle, it's SOME women who are very dismissive of pain and reality of female issues.

I am not sure how you'll manage to have medical staff with only direct experience of the reality of whatever area of medicine they're specialising in.

The presumption should be to see a qualified professional. If you want to be fussy, you can go private.

If some women are convinced some doctors really have "dilated eyes and heavier breathing" because they are sexually aroused when doing a medical exam, I don't want them these perverts banned from practicing on women, I want them ban full stop, I don't want them anywhere near my sons either!

The poster should have been told beforehand !

And cost the NHS for a missed appointment?
Or should an admin person spend time ringing everyone who has an appointment in the clinic that day (plus time following up missed calls) to check if they are ok with a male practitioner, and then book new appointments for everyone that is unhappy? And this has to be repeated for every single patient for every clinic, (because there will be women who don’t want to see a male even for non-intimate appointments) that is happening every day all around the country?
How much is that going to cost? Not only the time of staff to do the ringing up but also the cancelled appointments that can’t be filled because it is too late? Or should someone ring round everyone booked in at future clinics to see if they can come in at short notice?

It’s not about perverts (although I frankly do question any man choosing to spend his whole working life in gtnacology)it’s the lack of patience and just men in intimate areas. It’s a hideous experience, really horrible. It makes a difficult appointment 10 times worse.The default should be female staff. It’s a 63% female/37% male in the uk but I don’t think that’s good enough. In the US only 17% are male.

Yes frankly they should.