Smear appointment reminder with a Mx

[catin8oots]

Have a routine smear booked at my local surgery and just received a reminder text saying it will be with Mx Firstname Surname.

I have no idea if this person is a biological woman or a biological man.

Can I call and ask?

Yes you can. And I would be prepared to walk out if Mx was actually Mr.

I absolutely would.

You can definitely call and ask. And if it being a male person would upset you or make you uncomfortable or not want to attend then you absolutely should call and ask, and ask for it to be changed if it turns out it is a man.

I would call and check as I would be very uncomfortable if it was a man and would worry about being not confident enough to ask in person if it only became apparent when I entered the room.

It's a feminine first name but I know that doesn't mean anything.

Be interested in how they handle the question

You are allowed to asked for a female practitioner. Call them and find out.

Definitely ask. If it is a woman - she's not exactly demonstrating empathy with the women who have to have smears taken by her. It should be more important to her that her patients know they'll be seen by a woman (which many many women prefer or even need in this situation) rather than that her inner sense of being not like other women is gratified.

I know a few women who go by Mx, I think it’s because they think they’re being “inclusive” when it’s anything but.

no you don’t have to agree to an intimate examination by a man and have every right to ask the question.

Thank you. I was worried I'd be committing some sort of hate crime just by asking.

The lines open after lunch at 1.30pm so will report back.

What a fucking world we live in. And tbf I actually wouldn't necessarily be adverse to a male practitioner - I don't have trauma (luckily) as I know many women do. It's just the smoke and mirrors and deliberate lack of transparency that makes me uncomfortable

Definitely ring and ask also be prepared to walk out if it turns out when you get there that they have not been honest with you.

Absolutely. This information should be clearly stated.

Agreed. Personally I'd be fine having a smear test done by a man. But I know many many women wouldn't be fine with it, and given how many women miss their smear tests they shouldn't be being unclear like this for such a personal thing. Especially given how many women miss their smear tests.

On my GP's website the Drs are listed with (f) or (m) after their name so you could theoretically pick a female or male dr if you preferred (not that you can get an appointment, and if you do there's no choice anyway, but I get what they were trying to do). So it will say "Dr Smith (f)"

Not a chance I’d want my smear done by a man. No trauma at all, just not what I want.

We shouldn’t even need to be in this position where you need to check. World has gone absolutely crazy. I thought I’d peaked a while ago but I’ve found I whole rather level.

Just in case anyone is doubting me what with this being a hot topic and the election etc. I am a long term poster

I don't think anyone would doubt you- most women totally emphasize with your concerns.

inews.co.uk/news/health/nhs-woman-transgender-nurse-smear-test-114009

I’d definitely not want an XY who ID’s as a XX doing a smear test at all.

Blood test wouldn’t bother me though.

Are you allowed to ask if someone is biologically female?
If the person is nonbinary, what kind of answer could you expect if you asked?

I'd want to just cancel and try again when I knew someone was definitely female.

Mx is a fucking stupid title. I’d want to know.

Let's not forget that Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre regards the sex of its staff as confidential medical information and would evade answering your question. If you pushed the point, they'd tell you their service wasn't for you.

IIRC - although it's a long time since I worked in the pharmaceutical industry so things might have changed - cervical screening is one of the services that GPs get additional payment to do and for hitting targets. So I would imagine that they would be keen for you to attend.

Why on earth they are putting potential barriers like this in the way is beyond me

Hmmm, interesting....!

You are absolutely allowed to ask for a female nurse, or request a chaperone. But maybe they wouldn't be able to tell you specifically if "Keri" is male or female.

Personally, it wouldn't bother me. Over the years (3 x DCs and a gynae cancer) I've seen male gynaecologists, male nurses, doctors, radiographers, and even a male midwife. All of whom were professionals, so ultimately it didn't matter to me.

Mx?

What a crock of shite. Honestly, I’m so over all this.

That’s good that it wouldn’t bother you. Also irrelevant.

Interested to know what they say
Many people would want to know what sex the person doing their smear test was, it's an area where this should always be specified

I'd have a look on their practice website. They often have their staff with photos, names and most often- female or male. It 'might' clarify things without needing to wait on the phone to get through.