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!

My dd has always been scared of men she doesn't know. Lots of kids are.

She always sees a female doctor. And she will continue to do so. And anything other than that will happen over my dead body and that of dh.

What possible sanctions are there against making the offer of a chaperone?

archive.is/MDbOM

Found the link by searching archive.is. Hope I didn't mislead - the person they're complaining about is not named, so they can't directly push for her to be punished, they're just making noises about it being "bullying."

Since my early 20s (I’m 50 now) I have always asked for female GPs or HCPs. And for me it’s not just for intimate appointments. I had a run of not very pleasant appointments with male Drs including one where I was examined intimately and had felt violated afterwards. I found female Drs to be generally more sympathtic better listeners and have more understanding of woman related problems. Happily I have never been made to feel that I am being awkward although sometimes I have had to wait slightly longer for an appointment which I am happy to do. Until very recently it would have been laughable that this preference could possibly be considered to be transphobic. Honestly it’s completely mind boggling!

You see, I can and do absolutely respect men who identify as women. But this does not make them women. And their rights and freedoms end where mine start.

I refuse to see a male gyno and so do most of my friends. You're out of your fucking mind if you think I don't get to decide this. Anyone trying to encroach on patient consent is a rapist. It doesn't surprise me in the least trans activists are being rapey again.

Someone's trans status can not be disclosed to a a third party without the expressed permission of the trans person
So can I ask that my protected characteristic not be disclosed? Of course not, I'm female, everyone knows.
Same for my BAME DD.
Same for my blind friend.

If someone is obviously male, but "on paper" is a woman, how can it be "disclosed"?

I always request a female doctor or nurse for smear tests or any kind of intimate examination and I'd be happy to wait several weeks if one wasn't available however luckily in my local doctors we have loads of female doctors and so I've always been able to see one. I think we should be able to request one and have our request granted if we are prepared to wait for the privilege. Obviously in an emergency situation it's different.

That’s pretty damning Kantastic
So Trans NHS Twitter state that “you are not able to ask for a cisgender clinician”
Obviously I would not use the c word but they are wrong here.
Yet again misinterpretation of the EA

Also - I’ve not had a thread before where a lot of suspect characters have turned up, done the whole “I don’t get it” thing and then buggered off. I know it happens but it’s proof people are monitoring.

So, if women wrote to their local health service with the above letter, what is it that happens? They are called 'discriminatory', which implies someone is planning to do something about it. Contact the Equalities team. Is it a threat to do what - withhold treatment? Call the police for a 'hate incident'?

A woman states clearly that they don't wish a male to touch them, and this wish is deemed unacceptable - what exactly are the implied consequences?

I also knew a lot of med students at university and the way the men talked about women patients I've never really wanted a male doctor ever since. Especially the ones who go into certain areas it always seems suspicious to me. No give me a female HCP please.

Also - I’ve not had a thread before where a lot of suspect characters have turned up, done the whole “I don’t get it” thing and then buggered off. I know it happens but it’s proof people are monitoring.

Interesting, isn't it?

Anyway, for the benefit of our monitors and the hard of thinking, let me put the following in bold caps:

MY CONSENT IS NOT YOURS TO GIVE AWAY.

When I was young and naive, I had a mandatory health check for a job. It was only later that I realised that a. the organisation was very unlikely to require an extensive breast examination and b. the (male) doctor’s shaking hands were likely not due to palsy.

Just because someone is intelligent and capable enough to become a medical professional doesn’t mean they’re not also a pervert. I’d imagine there’s probably a pretty even distribution of skeeviness through the male population.

At my GPS I am always asked if I want a female Dr , I'm personally not too bothered but my DD prefers a female Dr as she feels more shy Infront of a male gp.
In hospital we have only had a few transpeople and they have had single rooms .
We do get women who want only to be treated by women and we respect that.For men of certain religions female carers seem acceptable but wherever practicable(there are much fewer male nurses,hcas)we try to find a male member of staff for intimate care.

archive.is/MDbOM

A doctor was making sure a patient was consenting and comfortable. That's an insult to the transwoman because everything needs to be about making THEM feel validated -- fuck the patient. I don't think people like this should be practicing medicine.

*ALittleBitofVitriol

Ah, so women are supposed to lie back, shut up, and do their bit for England?

There's always some pressing concern that conveniently outranks women's bodily autonomy.*

I think this is very pertinent. Women are told to shuffle up and be nice until conditions are perfect and possibly there wants can be considered. It doesn’t work like that though and never has.

The EA wouldn’t apply to patients so there wouldn’t be a sanction per se

But of course there is always the opportunity to make women feel guilty and to cash in on their propensity to be kind which is what that leaflet that DocStock highlighted is trying to do.

Not dissimilar to Humberbeat giving Harry the Owl instructions on Tweeting, we are told it’s unacceptable to ask for a biological female. We are being discriminatory. It taps into our fear of causing a scene.

This is another “check your thinking”

SetyourselfonFire that really chills me. Nobody asks the patient. It's the patient whose consent is required and important in that situation.

Thanks, Siam. Making use of the 'chilling' effect even without the use of legislation.

DancelikeEmmaGoldman Exactly the same happened to me when I was similarly young and naive.

Actually there’s more. There were 2 window cleaners outside but the doctor told me it was ok, it was one-way glass.

I can’t believe I was so trusting.

I’ve never had a male HCP do my cervical screen or mammogram and nor would I. This is true for the vast majority of women I know.

Men on the other hand seem less bothered by who does their prostrate exams (many actually prefer women - smaller hands).

Are mammograms and smears done in hospital in the UK, not by your GP? And the NHS wants to require women to allow male HCPs to do them?

This seems utterly bizarre - as do some of the comments on this thread. If you personally are fine with male HCPs doing your mammo/smear, that is great - I respect your choice.

Please likewise respect women who choose for these particular procedures to be done by female HCPs.

*HipTightOnions

DancelikeEmmaGoldman Exactly the same happened to me when I was similarly young and naive.

Actually there’s more. There were 2 window cleaners outside but the doctor told me it was ok, it was one-way glass.*

Well fuck.

2 things. Imagine how many more women have had similar experiences, and what does it say about men that two random blokes thought watching was ok.

I’m sorry HipTightOnions.

There was a news story on the bbc a few weeks ago where someone refused a consultants treatment because of his race. That’s not acceptable.

No, it's not acceptable. It's also not relevant to this. When melanin confers an ability to rape onto someone who otherwise would be unable to rape, then race will become relevant. A penis is a rape weapon: melanin isn't.

The NHS is honestly at breaking point.

We know. This is a political decision by the Tory govt.

Unless you work on the front line you have really no idea how bad it is. Staffing levels are the worst they have ever been.

Political decision by the Tories. Gender critical feminists, many of whom are, or were until recently, Labour supporters, are not responsible for decisions made by a Tory govt for ideological reasons.

Yes you have the right to request a specific gender but would you really refuse the help of a medical professional because they are not the gender you requested?

• I don't request staff by gender, but by sex.
• I request staff by sex under circumstances where it's necessary for me to have a female HCP to undergo treatment. For a smear test, coil fit, or GUM clinic visit, I will refuse a male HCP. I was sexually assaulted aged eight and my vagina clamps shut if a male HCP tries to examine me. A male cannot examine me because he will not get the speculum in and he will hurt me if he tries. For most other circumstances, a male would be acceptable.

Earlier poster

I think it’s completely unacceptable to refuse medical help from some one based on their gender or race.

Good thing I base my refusal on sex then.

If you need medical attention and there is someone who could potentially save your life I think you should be grateful for that.

I forget the number, but this is the rule of patriarchy that says "women have all the rights they need: the right to stay silent". How dare we express anything other than profuse and meek gratitude for the crumbs men deign to throw us?

No excuses.

I repeat, "I was sexually assaulted aged eight and my vagina clamps shut if a male HCP tries to examine me". The smear examination is impossible without a female HCP. Jade Goody died because she did not get her smears. Without a female HCP, I cannot get mine.

Also, £50 says your original birth certificate says "male", based on the arrogance and dismissiveness of your posts.

I didn't see a doctor from the time I was 10 until I was 8 months pregnant because the doctors were all men. That was a long time ago and thankfully there are female practitioners these days. Women and girls need them because the alternative is to do without medical care.

I've said it before on similar threads and I'll say it again. The current law makes it completely unworkable for patients to ask for female only (ie not including transwomen) doctors. Employers have to keep any employees' trans status really locked down so that maybe one or two managers will know. Whoever is scheduling appointments would not be informed.

It's probably easiest for NHS trusts to declare such requests as unacceptable, because if they did think they were acceptable they would be impossible to implement.

If you have ‘religious’ issues or anything else you have the option to go private and choose which doctor/specialist you see. If not shut up