AIBU to expect a gown and privacy during an early mammogram?

[Cranberry2020]

Today I attended for my first mammogram under the screening age due to family history.
i was called and the radiographer didn’t introduce herself. Inside the room she just asked me to undress to waist and started asking me questions. I wasn’t offered a gown etc and I got down to bra and felt cold. I requested a gown for dignity and she said they don’t have them here. That’s the machine is only over there. I felt uncomfortable and tried to ask again. She denied one. She then said she needed to get someone else in and went and got the receptionist who was an older lady. The radiographer then gaslit me by telling the receptionist how unreasonable I was asking for a gown etc. that the receptionist had to hear two sides but then didn’t let me speak. I was still in my bra and now the door to the corridor was open. The receptionist told me if I’d wanted a gown I should have mentioned it earlier. I left the wrong way and came back and heard they were still talking about me negatively. I then found a nurse and explained by now generally upset. The consultant appeared and said that it’s down to perceived communication which I couldn’t accept completely as I really asked nicely for a gown and explained why. She also said that if I left now I’d have to ‘wait a long time for another one’. I’ve been left reeling. I have other long term conditions and do have some medical PTSD. I’ve had lots of healthcare interactions including a recent internal gynae scan yet I felt fully cared for and treated with dignity and respect. AIBU? Thanks

I suspect you’ve just grown use to poor treatment and don’t know any different. But blaming other women for being prudish is shameful.

Yes, you should still get mammograms. My 80 your old grandmother paid to still have hers and was just diagnosed with early stage breast cancer.

I’m glad I have never had a mammogram if this is the way you are treated. You are not being precious OP. HCP should always introduce themselves and maintain your dignity at all times.

I was a mammographer until recently
Time is very pressured, there's a 5 minute slot for introduction, ID check, history/symptom check, positioning and 4 good quality x-rays, dressing, undressing and trying to make the patient comfortable.

Gowns were never offered, I can't see the point of adding this extra step when you're straight onto the machine after getting undressed. We would never carry out a mammogram in a gown, the slightest chance of a part of gown overlapping the images (there's already movement, hair, heads, shoulders and jewelry potentially impacting image quality,). having a flappy gown would easily impact an image and then we'd have to repeat, another dose of radiation.

I would never fail to introduce myself and the procedure, there's no excuse for missing this out. In every other way I would ensure dignity and kindness, but no gowns would even be available, especially not in mobile units

I requested a gown for dignity

I just put my arms across my breasts for a moment of dignity. They're about to manhandle/womanhandle? your breasts and move your body with their hands and shove pieces of flesh into place to get a good picture. Faffing about with a gown for a short ceremonical walk in this instance is a waste of time.

I’ve had IvF too so no stranger either but always treated with respect. This experience severely lacked ‘it’…

Well it felt like it as she told the receptionist a story that hadn’t happened… possibly to cover up how she’d treated me…

Not a clinical person
clearly not independent
operator was haranguing her with ‘what happened’ which wasn’t what actually happened

Why would the chaperone be a clinical person?

I would just keep my back to a person whilst I was undressing if they are in the same room. To be fair now I have had a few mammograms I tend to zone out and try and forget you are standing in front of someone with your boobs out which they are then going to get hold of and manipulate into a machine. It just seems such a surreal experience

Why would a chaperone need to be independent or clinical ?

When I have had chaperone with male GP it is usually female nurse, but she is there as a chaperone not necessarily for medical reasons, although may help to explain things if necessary. I certainly wouldn’t expect an independent person

Same at breast clinic if a male consultant is involved a female nurse will be called in

In terms of independent I mean trained and competent. Also my consent. None of this was clear and really it was clear she wasn’t trained. The GMC and radiography bodies give standards for chaperones.

What you experienced is not acceptable. When I have been there is a changing room where you take off the upper clothing and put on a gown. The consulting room is completely private. The door is closed. You should definitely report the issues about these issues and the attitude of the staff.

My last one - always mobile on the hospital grounds - was awful

I knew it was the remove bra and walk through scenario , so I wore I loose fitting open fronted top

What really did me in was, the drive to is - about 20 miles - was horrendous, terrible weather - and then I find the steps on those units terrifying. Im petrified of heights and steps you can see through - that's heights for me

But the worse was, I never got time to settle myself and I was straight in - good , no waiting, but the radiographer was trying to get me in position, and was yanking me and having a shoulder injury , I yelped and she gave off at me for not saying !! Not that I had had a chance , I was in and out within 7 mins !!!

I refused smears when I hit meno, Im not going for another mamo. When it's women treating women like that - no thanks , I'll take my chances . At least if diagnosed you have the option of comfort and dignity

@Cranberry2020 my personal thoughts having worked in healthcare for > 10 years

1. the radiographer should have introduced themselves
2. you should be allowed to get dressed / undressed without someone else in the room and bit surprised this isn’t the case. 3)other member of staff should never have been called in when you were topless and very unprofessional for them to have been speaking about your requests
3. not unreasonable to ask for a gown, also not unreasonable for one to not be available. A simple “sorry we don’t have them here because it impedes the test. Is there anything we can do to make things more comfortable for you / are you still happy to proceed” would have surely stopped things from escalating

agree with pp if expectations were set initially this could have been avoided but who cares about prevention being better than cure eh

I think they’re very unreasonable not offering a gown, not treating you sensitively and then acting as if you are the problem.

This kind of medical paternalism is just another way women get mistreated in the healthcare system.

This is not acceptable. I’m sorry they treated you this way and acted as if you were the problem. They were the problem.

I hope you complain.

Did you end up having the mammogram?

I'm not in the UK but even free mammograms here came with a gown that was worn on one side while the other was done.

Let's face it, no man would be expected to walk down a corridor naked from the waist down for a medical test.

@notallthosewhotravelarelost no one is asked to walk down a corridor topless. OP was asked to walk across a room. If you have to go into another room, wait in a corridor etc you wear your own top, just without a bra on. I would prefer my own top to a gown.

And wearing a gown during the procedure, so having to faff about with that would just add time and I want to be in and out of there as quickly as possible (as does the NHS)

Yes, this was a chaperone. The person doesn’t need to be clinical and practically anyone will do.

@sittingonabeachtwo posters, including the one above state they have had to move rooms with either their hands or some paper covering their boobs.

I live in a poorer country than the UK. Even we can afford gowns.

@notallthosewhotravelarelost not sure why they didn’t put their top on as you would be taking your possessions with you

Information given when you get your mammogram invitation explains what you should wear and the possibility that there won’t be gowns (or certainly do in my area)

They weren’t brought in as a chaperone. She got her and then proceeded to tell her what had happened ‘I introduced myself as you know I always do…’ this is because I said she hadn’t and I didn’t know her name. Then she misrepresented what I’d asked for and I was told I should have asked for a gown prior - even though my first time there and no understanding of this. Chaperones should be trained and understand independence, I’m pretty sure this lady was not appropriate. The consultant said the receptionist should not have been brought in and a clinical person like her or the nurse should have been found

This. Everyone saying OP should have to deal with a lack of dignity and with discomfort? That’s not the ethos of healthcare…

Patient centred care where the patient feels listened to, respected and offered nonjudgmental care is paramount. They could have explained why they don’t do gowns and then said she can redress until the last second if need be. They must be respectful of patient wishes and not regard them as a number.