Doctor will ask for your sexuality now

[AncientLights]

Am sure I've read stuff along these lines before, but this is from today's ( Tues 22 Oct 2019) Sun newspaper:

"GPs and hospitals should quiz every patient on whether they are gay or transgender by the end of next year, MPs say.

The rules would also see OAP care homes asking residents about sexual orientation and gender identity. The recommendations have been made by the Commons' Women & Equality Committee to help improve health care for sexual minorities."

It continues. I would post more but I am on my phone in a greasy spoon, hence reading The Sun.

I will refuse to answer any such questions. This is all part of the normalisation of trans - note the binary option in the first sentence. Seems we have to be trans or gay now. I know that's The Sun's paraphrasing, but it's odious.

What do women have in common with gender and sexuality? Something to do with fucking? It's like they used to put anything to do with sex or children on women's pages in newspapers* rather than news to do with women.

*probably still do - just don't read them any more.

I just had an appointment with a male GP about a mole on my arm. If he’d have asked me my sexuality I would have felt entirely confused, a little bit vulnerable (as it was just me and him in a closed room) and I may have reported him.

@errol proxy to behaviours and very relevant in terms of any issues about a partner e.g. serious mental health issues. So lesbians who do not have kids, most older lesbians do not, are at a greater risk of breast cancer. But at a much reduced risk of cervical cancer. They are also at an increased risk of mental health issues and suicide as so many were ostracised or sidelined by parents and siblings when younger.

It is sometimes necessary. Gay people are more likely to have poor mental health, gay men are more likely to have disordered eating compared to straight men, gay women are less likely to need contraception etc. That small bit of information can actually be very useful to a doctor.

It can also make a difference with children as well, my GP has placed on a note on my sons file so that she doesn’t accidentally refer to a mummy in front of my son.

@ErrolTheDragon gay men have been seen as at higher risk of AIDS for years (not sure if my knowledge on that is out of date so not sure of current status) and sexual health screenings will rightly or wrongly test for more if you are a gay Male or have had sex with somebody who has had male/male sex.

I was recently ill in hospital and some of the things they tested me for were STDs (which was weird to me as it didn't seem like anything to do with that, and it turned out not to be). They got quite a long way down the list of possible things to test me for before they got to that... I guess if I'd have been a sexually active gay male they might have considered AIDs sooner. Ironically unlike when they press ganged me into a pregnancy test when I BBC was in a f/f relationship, they seemed in no hurry to pregnancy test me this time despite me being in a m/f relationship... go figure!

And I know Stonewall surveys show that most lesbians think their sexuality is relevant to their healthcare.
But as usual anything that mentions trans on MN gets ridiculed.

Thanks for the info - it sounds like a lot of gay/bi people do think the sexuality question is a good idea, if it's helpful then that's fine.

I can't wait for the visit to get contraception.

"Are you the sort of person who produces large, relatively immobile gametes, and do you now, or have you ever had, sex with someone who produces small mobile gametes. This is the range of products we offer for someone like you...."

A masterpiece of clarity and successful public health outreach I feel. Will obviously get to their target demographic no problem.

Surely they do need to know if someone young is trans? If an 18 year old says they are trans and is not being seen by and services for this, then any decent GP should be checking out that they are not ordering hormones off the internet or binding breasts.
This isn't about being "nice". This is about healthcare, and everyone deserves decent healthcare.

I don't see how a doctor asking about a woman's sexuality is relevant unless it's a gynecologist. What an invasive question. What if someone is closeted? Also, no question if someone is bi just gay or trans?

I don't see how they can justify that under GDPR, for me it contravenes principle 3 of data minimisation, they don't need the information to treat a patient (in most circumstances, if it's relevant to a condition then of course fine).

If we believe what The Sun says and we are going to all be asked if we are transgender - well, I can imagine how that would go down with loads of people. On this board most of us are pretty well versed in matters trans, whichever side of the fence we come down on, but most of society is only just getting glimmers of it trickling through now & again. It'll be a very brave HCP who asks most men if they're trans or not. I'd be so insulted by the implication if they asked me, though I'd probably manage to remain civil. Just.

Of course the MPs could leave it to the judgement of health professionals. Who could assess their patients as individuals according to the situation and relevance to their health needs

I won't answer such a question unless I feel it's relevant to the reason I'm seeing the doctor or other HCP.

That would make far too much sense though, Ali1ce.

Well, I know lesbians who were mighty pissed off to be repeatedly offered contraception at GP surgery by doctors and nurses.

Really? When did HCPs start routinely asking all women if they wanted contraceptives? I was never asked.

I just had an appointment with a male GP about a mole on my arm. If he’d have asked me my sexuality I would have felt entirely confused, a little bit vulnerable (as it was just me and him in a closed room) and I may have reported him.

I'm considering my responses as I sit here. I think I'm going with "And that's got exactly what to do with you?"

@natashasdance It's hardly an imposition for a midwife to suggest discussing contraception with someone who has just given birth.

No, indeed. Please point out to me where I suggested it was?

Good! No more irrelevant, insistent questions from well-meaning practitioners and the opportunity for better protection for vulnerable LGBT people.

Crikey imagine being such a hateful bigot that you wouldn't want others to have more effective healthcare through basic diversity monitoring. If you don't want to answer such questions, you don't have to, and if it helps others, it shouldn't be your problem.

Are you saying that LB women who don't want invasive questions about their sexual orientation when it isn't relevant are hateful bigots, World?

There's a lot wrong with this IMHO bit this struck me particularly

"The rules would also see OAP care homes asking residents about sexual orientation and gender identity."

I can't see why a care home needs this info?

It's been going on for years my dr asked do I need to update your gender,? No I think my sex is the only thing relevant from a medical point of view he then went on to try and insist I had a coil fitted I said no he asked if I was ttc NO well we do like to give you long term contraception these days that's nice but I'm not having sex so I dont see the need he pushed again I said I have a thyroid problem I would like to discuss (because that's why I came in) he was most disgruntled 🤷‍♀️

Logically, to answer truthfully I think a lot of us would actually be classed as transgender because i don't have a gender identity that matches my sex. Surely if a huge proportion of people were ticking transgender it would help show up the nonsense that this has become?

I don't think the GP's surgery adding sexual orientation to the list of info they have on file about patients is particularly problematic to be honest.

It's just part of basic equality monitoring and individuals would obviously be free to decline to answer. Not everything is a trans issue.

RE the going about a coil
Do they get financial incentives? They go on about it so much. I have to see the doc frequently, aboit stuff not connected, and they always ask about a coil.