Only consenting to receiving medical treatment from a female is not acceptable

[Siameasy]

mobile.twitter.com/Docstockk/status/1198215833006362630

One NHS trust says it’s unacceptable for women to say they only consent to medical treatment from “natal females”. I find this completely outrageous and couldn’t find a thread on it already. Bloody hell!

hear yes it is fine for you to request a male HCP for your smear. Please ask for one. No one this thread thinks women should not have a choice over the sex of the person putting a speculum in their vulva.

Believe it or not, the medical profession actually want women to have regular smears / mammograms. Women not infrequently die of cancers that could have been detected had they gone for these.

Many women prefer female HCPs for these procedures - others have no preference. If having a male HCP would make it easier for you to have a smear / mammogram, please let your HCPs know.

Um...you ask...I've had intimate procedures done by a male before (not by request)...male GP's, male nurses, male gynaes are out there. You, as the patients with responsibility for your own health care, go and ask.

Obviously, if I need to be referred to a gynaecologist then I can ask for a male but you aren't sent to a gynae Dr to have cervical screening or a mammogram are you? They're done by practice nurses (all female at my GPS) or family planning clinics (all female last time I went). As I said, the mammogram radiographer was female (at a specific mammogram clinic) so how do I have these done by a male? I doubt I can be referred to a hospital gynaecologist just to have cervical screening.

Blimey HearHooves you really seem to have a lot of bad luck with female care providers, don’t you?

Really? 2 births plus a mammogram. So probably 5 or so staff - 1 midwife during my first delivery, 2 midwives plus a Dr during my 2nd (at the same time), 1 radiographer. The obs unit was put into special measures due to the appalling care received there so I won't have been the only woman affected by the staff working there. Thanks for the snide comments though. You'd make the same comments to women assaulted by several different men would you?

You posted the link after you posted your comment, after someone asked what you were referring to

You said "maybe the poster isn't feminsit then..."

Then you make out as if the link was posted at the same time as your first comment on it and deny mentioning the feminsit bit.......hum...

Maybe you have to come back another day, or wait longer for an appt, or, worst case scenario, go private.

We don't have a choice of different.places to go for a mammogram. I was sent to our clinic that does them, they are all female. As for going private someone suggested on the midwifery thread that if a woman requires a female midwife then she should go private. They were ripped to shreds for suggesting it. I can't afford to pay privately to have it done.

You’d make the same comments to women assaulted by several different men would you?

Absolutely, if they kept jumping onto threads about men wanting the right to have MALE care givers and trying to merail it by constantly criticising Male caregivers.

Then you make out as if the link was posted at the same time as your first comment on it and deny mentioning the feminsit bit.......hum...

I did not raise the issue of the poster being a feminist. That was another poster. My reply was in response to their comment.

I don't know any feminists who would say it is sexist for a woman to choose a male hcp for intimate care and procedures due to prior trauma with a female practitioner/female person.

Here we are. The first reference to feminism made by JanesKettle and I replied to her comment. I didn't raise it first and I didn't deny that I said maybe they weren't a feminist then but they certainly appeared to be posting from a feminist perspective.

What I'm getting from these threads is that if you are a woman that has suffered trauma due to treatment by a female HCP then don't expect to be believed or get support, particularly from other women.

So much for we've all got the right to choose without having to give a reason why - clearly we don't at all. Particularly as my reason why appears to be my own bad luck (thanks for that snide comment).

If the NHS cannot accomodate you at all, then that's a problem.

I still don't see what arguing with us here about women's right to care from a natal female will do to solve your problem.

Perhaps you can form an advocacy group with other women in the same position, and lobby for care for women affected by female-perpetrated trauma.

Absolutely, if they kept jumping onto threads about men wanting the right to have MALE care givers and trying to merail it by constantly criticising Male caregivers.

2 threads about the same subject - the right to choose hcps.

Sorry, clearly missed the memo that only some women have the right to choose or to discuss the issues around choosing. Other women just gave to suck it up I suppose?

Oh, go away, Hooves. I've just spent my breakfast time affirming your need for male-care, due to female-perpetrated trauma. And yesterday breakfast time I spent validating your health trauma.

Stop whinging about no feminist understands or supports you. At this point, I think you are just wasting feminist time.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras

It seemed to me, and I could be wrong here, that there was a bit of confusion with what you were arguing on the thread about midwives.

I think in the end everybody agreed with you that you definitely should have a choice to choose a male hcp over a female. That all women should have a choice of the sex of the hcp, and that women should not be shamed for making those choices.

hear I would suggest ringing around to find a male HCP, your local doctor may have an idea.

Where I am, a male GP might step in and do your mammogram in this scenario - not sure if that applies there.

The majority of women either want a female HCP or don’t mind. So your preference for a male HCP for mammograms is unusual, and you do need to advocate for it (Janes’ script is perfect).

You could even post on a board here.. “anyone know of a male practice nurse within 50 kms of X”?

The OP was about women losing the right to request female HCPs. It was not about requiring women to have HCPs - that is a strawman argument.

I still don't see what arguing with us here about women's right to care from a natal female will do to solve your problem.

The problem arises from people arguing that only female hcps should be employed to do certain roles. That's what then makes it virtually impossible for women like me to have any choice. I'm not arguing against anyone else's right to choose a female HCP yet the systems appear to be set up to default to female staff caring for female patients with apparently no workaround at all.

It would be more acceptable if female hcps actually understood and respected issues of consent, obtaining consent, respecting boundaries rather than just assuming things because we have the same genitalia.

During my 2nd labour I got a bit short tempered with my DH because he was blowing in my face and I needed space. The midwife actually said to me " no need to be so rude to him. I nearly slapped you"!!!
But yes, female hcps are so supportive of women.

not about requiring women to have female* HCPs

hear for about the fifth time, it is perfectly fine to request a male HCP.

Honestly.

2BthatUnnoticed

Are you in the UK? Mammograms aren't something that gps do here, not even nurses. They are done in an X ray department by radiographers but you are invited to attend by a national screening programme. We can't just arrange our own appointments or choose where we go.

It's not just mammograms, it's cervical screening. That's the most difficult for me but again it's by invitation only to specific clinics which are staffed by women.

I honestly don't think the NHS provides for women in my situation at all.

hear for about the fifth time, it is perfectly fine to request a male HCP.

Not if they don't exist it isn't is it?

I honestly don't think the NHS provides for women in my situation at all.

Sadly, in that you are probably correct and it might take a great deal of research for you to find a solution that makes you comfortable.

Continually hijacking and me-railing threads to press your own agenda, Hooves. AGAIN. May I ask why in particular you don't start your own thread about this rather than continually trying to use others'?

While it's usually a practice nurse that does my smear, I have had it done by a GP, and at our practice there are plenty of GPs. That would be easy to investigate.
(And there are lots of male radiographers, though I don't know what specific training you need. I had a chest x-ray from a male radiographer today).

drspouse

X rays yes, I've had male radiographers. Mammograms, in this health authority anyway, are done in a private clinic, presumably where the NHS has purchased capacity. It's a stand alone clinic. When I received my invitation you had to phone to book an appointment and they couldn't fit me in at a convenient time so I asked where else did it and was told nowhere. That is where the health authority has placed its contract.

May I ask why in particular you don't start your own thread about this rather than continually trying to use others'?

Because I thought this was a thread on the right to choose your HCP. Silly me.

Hear so start a thread in aibu asking for male HCP recommendations within 50 miles of X.

According to google there are over 66 million people in the UK, 56 million of whom are in England. Surely there must be a male practice nurse somewhere? Or an understanding junior doctor who would do it as an exception to the rule?

I know it’s a pain, I once drove four hours to see a decent lactation consultant. But it’s your health, so the hassle and time is worth it.

And coincidentally, the other thread filled up . . .

2BthatUnnoticed

Are you in the UK? I know you're trying to be helpful but the NHS just doesn't work like that. Junior drs don't do mammograms, at all. That is an allied health profession. They need access to X ray machines etc. You can't just look up a Dr in the phone book and nip up to see them, plus they gave to be paid for. The NHS provides our care. We can't just shop around. You are constrained by where contracts are placed.

My only option would be to pay to go to a private hospital, which I just cannot afford to do.

And coincidentally, the other thread filled up . .

With people posting song lyrics and stollen recipes, obviously entirely related to the thread title.