Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think men should not be allowed to be gynaecologists

637 replies

CaragianettE · 10/06/2026 22:45

Just that, really. Saw one last week. He was trying to be helpful, but I really really really don’t want to discuss ‘do you get clots’ ‘do you experience flooding’ ‘do you find intercourse painful’ with a strange man. Yes it would be awkward with a strange woman too, but at least I know she likely has some lived experience of what we are talking about. TBH I also question men’s motives for choosing this job, not just the licence to look at strange women’s vaginas, but I think there’s something deep in the male psyche that just loves laying down the law to women about their reproductive systems. It’s a job for a woman, and while I know men were allowed to train for it in the past, I think they should now be phased out.

OP posts:
whirlyhead · 11/06/2026 16:21

I really don't feel comfortable judging people according to their sex. Some men will make great gynaecologists, and some women will; likewise some won't (of either sex). It will depend a lot on their ability to empathise and listen rather than what sex they are.

I had an abortion many years ago, and I had a male medical student with me throughout the whole journey (as my reasoning was how else would he learn). He made the whole experience so much better as he just kept talking to me and listening and not judging, ever. Which was down to him as a human being, and not what sex he was I think.

MostlyGhostly · 11/06/2026 16:40

I consider myself to be a robust person who is able to move on from bad experiences however I really envy posters on this thread who seem not to have had negative experiences with men to the extent that they feel vigilant and slightly suspicious around trusting strange ones with intimate care. Bring able to trust a random men and random women equally in intimate healthcare situations is not something many people I know, based on discussions I’ve had, are able to do.

Periperi2025 · 11/06/2026 17:02

MostlyGhostly · 11/06/2026 16:40

I consider myself to be a robust person who is able to move on from bad experiences however I really envy posters on this thread who seem not to have had negative experiences with men to the extent that they feel vigilant and slightly suspicious around trusting strange ones with intimate care. Bring able to trust a random men and random women equally in intimate healthcare situations is not something many people I know, based on discussions I’ve had, are able to do.

Agree.

I challenge these women to take a browse of any of the health care tribunal websites, GMC, NMC, HCPC and filter by 'struck off' andv start clicking on male names.

I'm a HCP, i am currently involved with an ongoing case (sacked, but pending professional tribunal), this man has been allowed near vulnerable women for close to 2 decades.

I have many wonderful male colleagues who i would absolutely trust with my life, and crucially my DDs life, but others i would not let near her. When i go to gynae i take pot luck with an unknown male every time, I've yet to see the females consultant I'm under, maybe these men are fine, but maybe they are like the predator I had the misfortune to work with who has thankfully now been sacked, but not before at least one young women had to suffer (including a PTSD diagnosis) at his hands.

tabbycat11 · 11/06/2026 17:06

My brother in law is a gynaecologist oncologist consultant. I don’t think he spent years training just to get a look at women’s vaginas. Ohh he is also married to my brother.

JollyGreenWatermelon · 11/06/2026 17:09

you can reverse it

How can I trust someone with intimate care, just because she's a woman? How can I trust that she won't hurt or even injure me?

I don't trust someone more (or less) because they are male or female. I am not more comfortable with a man or woman. It's completely irrelevant.

Periperi2025 · 11/06/2026 17:16

JollyGreenWatermelon · 11/06/2026 17:09

you can reverse it

How can I trust someone with intimate care, just because she's a woman? How can I trust that she won't hurt or even injure me?

I don't trust someone more (or less) because they are male or female. I am not more comfortable with a man or woman. It's completely irrelevant.

Doctors or other HCP aren't some special godly angelic breed of men, they represent the rest of society where a significant minority of men presents a real and present danger to women, particularly with regards to sexual assault, than other women do, and where some of these men will make a great deal of effort to get themselves into positions of authority and isolation with women.

Shoola · 11/06/2026 18:16

JollyGreenWatermelon · 11/06/2026 17:09

you can reverse it

How can I trust someone with intimate care, just because she's a woman? How can I trust that she won't hurt or even injure me?

I don't trust someone more (or less) because they are male or female. I am not more comfortable with a man or woman. It's completely irrelevant.

98% of all offenders prosecuted for sexual offences are men.

I'm really sorry but I don't quite understand how someone can reach adulthood and not know that men pose a significantly higher risk. Even if you have no life experience of this, it isn't as if it is under reported.

LapisBlue · 11/06/2026 18:20

Sorry, not read the whole thread but yes - men should not be gynecologists. t's a bit icky. I always insist on same-sex care for intimate stuff.

DilemmaDelilah · 11/06/2026 18:39

@ThingsAreNotWhatTheyWere interestingly, I used to work with a lot of male gynaecologists. Then my husband had to get his prostate checked out, and the consultant urologist that looked after him was the daughter of our former lead clinician for obs and gynae (male).

Jasmine222 · 11/06/2026 18:43

How utterly ridiculous. The gynecologist I've seen regularly is male and I feel way way more comfortable than with a woman. Female gynecologists have given me far more of an ick. I've also had a bad (borderline sexual harrassment) experience with a male orthopedist, nothing to do with gynecology there. It's down to individual people and preferences and I find this thread really offensive actually.

Anarchy99 · 11/06/2026 18:44

LapisBlue · 11/06/2026 18:20

Sorry, not read the whole thread but yes - men should not be gynecologists. t's a bit icky. I always insist on same-sex care for intimate stuff.

Edited

‘Icky’? Why is it ‘icky’? (Never seen anyone over the age of 6 use that word before) 😬

It is perfectly reasonable to insist on same sex care.

i don’t have an issue with a man poking about down there

Jasmine222 · 11/06/2026 18:47

How can I report this thread? I think it's sexist and inappropriate and it's annoyed me. Just like it would be inappropriate to ban women from being urologists and treating men. Or to ban anyone from doing any profession really. What we actually need is more doctors in general, so that patients can freely choose whomever they're most comfortable with. And the generalizing posts are also ridiculous...like "We dont want male midwives"...speak for yourself please!

Sometimessmiling · 11/06/2026 18:47

Whataflippincircus · 10/06/2026 22:53

I know what you mean @CaragianettE . I felt uncomfortable discussing my prolapse with a man, I had only just met. He went on to repair my prolapse and did an excellent job, which was the main thing really.

Don't know why..he's a specialist, my son just had a test done by a female urologist which was fairly intimate, didn't phase him, he's was just glad that they could sort things out.

Anarchy99 · 11/06/2026 18:48

Shoola · 11/06/2026 18:16

98% of all offenders prosecuted for sexual offences are men.

I'm really sorry but I don't quite understand how someone can reach adulthood and not know that men pose a significantly higher risk. Even if you have no life experience of this, it isn't as if it is under reported.

I am a rape survivor (15 and a virgin at the time) but I don’t view all men as predators even though most predators are men.

Its a bit of a stretch to think that someone would go to the effort of medical school then specialising just so he can have a poke around random women.

And being female doesn’t give you an automatic insight into the female body. (Obvs being a doctor does!). I have no idea how most of my plumbing works.

Pinkchickenwine · 11/06/2026 18:50

I should imagine hundreds of thousands of women should thank these men, should they require IVF, should they have been banned?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Edwards_(physiologist)

Pinkchickenwine · 11/06/2026 18:51

Pinkchickenwine · 11/06/2026 18:50

I should imagine hundreds of thousands of women should thank these men, should they require IVF, should they have been banned?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Edwards_(physiologist)

The other man was Patrick Steptoe

WhatMe123 · 11/06/2026 18:57

I’ve also met some awful
female gynaecologists with absolutely no understanding of complaints around endo stuff. I often got the shut up and put up it’s periods argument from them. Saw a male and he really listened. It’s more about the individual I’d say

MacNCheeze · 11/06/2026 19:04

Shoola · 11/06/2026 18:16

98% of all offenders prosecuted for sexual offences are men.

I'm really sorry but I don't quite understand how someone can reach adulthood and not know that men pose a significantly higher risk. Even if you have no life experience of this, it isn't as if it is under reported.

This.

There is an inherent power differential between the two. And not just physically and biologically either.

Seymour5 · 11/06/2026 19:09

Jasmine222 · 11/06/2026 18:47

How can I report this thread? I think it's sexist and inappropriate and it's annoyed me. Just like it would be inappropriate to ban women from being urologists and treating men. Or to ban anyone from doing any profession really. What we actually need is more doctors in general, so that patients can freely choose whomever they're most comfortable with. And the generalizing posts are also ridiculous...like "We dont want male midwives"...speak for yourself please!

Edited

If you really feel the need, click on the three dots top right on your post. It opens up the option to report. Or just ignore it.

MacNCheeze · 11/06/2026 19:13

Jasmine222 · 11/06/2026 18:47

How can I report this thread? I think it's sexist and inappropriate and it's annoyed me. Just like it would be inappropriate to ban women from being urologists and treating men. Or to ban anyone from doing any profession really. What we actually need is more doctors in general, so that patients can freely choose whomever they're most comfortable with. And the generalizing posts are also ridiculous...like "We dont want male midwives"...speak for yourself please!

Edited

Why? Many posts are constructive whichever side of the debate they fall on. No one is being abusive. We live in a democratic society where respectful discussion should be encouraged and not silenced.

Shoola · 11/06/2026 19:18

Anarchy99 · 11/06/2026 18:48

I am a rape survivor (15 and a virgin at the time) but I don’t view all men as predators even though most predators are men.

Its a bit of a stretch to think that someone would go to the effort of medical school then specialising just so he can have a poke around random women.

And being female doesn’t give you an automatic insight into the female body. (Obvs being a doctor does!). I have no idea how most of my plumbing works.

I have had a bad experience with a male gynaecologist who behaved inappropriately. It is obviously a specialism that might attract a higher proportion of creepy men than some other areas.

I would never have a male gynaecologist again. Female gynaecologists have the same medical training as men and they are highly unlikely to be sex pests. I don't expect them to have any special womanly insight beyond that.

CurlewKate · 11/06/2026 19:34

Jasmine222 · 11/06/2026 18:47

How can I report this thread? I think it's sexist and inappropriate and it's annoyed me. Just like it would be inappropriate to ban women from being urologists and treating men. Or to ban anyone from doing any profession really. What we actually need is more doctors in general, so that patients can freely choose whomever they're most comfortable with. And the generalizing posts are also ridiculous...like "We dont want male midwives"...speak for yourself please!

Edited

You can report if you want to. But I want women to always have the choice of a woman for any “intimate care”. Not because I think all men are abusers. But because a lot of women, like me, would just be more comfortable with a woman.For the avoidance of doubt, I think men should have the choice of a man if they want, too.

CurlewKate · 11/06/2026 19:35

And actually, I could be persuaded that being a midwife should be a woman only role.

ThreadGuardDog · 11/06/2026 19:40

Periperi2025 · 11/06/2026 17:16

Doctors or other HCP aren't some special godly angelic breed of men, they represent the rest of society where a significant minority of men presents a real and present danger to women, particularly with regards to sexual assault, than other women do, and where some of these men will make a great deal of effort to get themselves into positions of authority and isolation with women.

So let me get this straight. You think men will go to uni and saddle themselves with debt and then go on to medical school and all of the training and experience needed to be a consultant gynaecologist - just so they can have access to womens bits ? Grow up.

Periperi2025 · 11/06/2026 19:59

ThreadGuardDog · 11/06/2026 19:40

So let me get this straight. You think men will go to uni and saddle themselves with debt and then go on to medical school and all of the training and experience needed to be a consultant gynaecologist - just so they can have access to womens bits ? Grow up.

https://www.mpts-uk.org/-/media/mpts-rod-files/dr-mohan-babu-14-may-2026.pdf
Sexual assualt against a female patient
https://www.mpts-uk.org/-/media/mpts-rod-files/dr-aloaye-foy-yamah13-may-26.pdf
Sexual assualt against a female patient
https://www.mpts-uk.org/-/media/mpts-rod-files/dr-mark-westbrook07-may-26.pdf
Distribution of child pornography
https://www.mpts-uk.org/-/media/mpts-rod-files/dr-shamir-chandran06-may-26.pdf
Controlling and coercive behaviour against a women
https://www.mpts-uk.org/-/media/mpts-rod-files/dr-vijay-gaikwad-29-april-2026.pdf
Sexual assualts against patients that resulted in 6 years in prison
https://www.mpts-uk.org/-/media/mpts-rod-files/dr-matthew-isles17-apr-26.pdf
Sexual communication with a child

This is ONE month of hearings ONE month!! How dare you tell me to "Grow up".