Allow Male Workers to perform mammograms and breast screening

[CrakdEgg]

OK, so the Society & College of Radiographers have their annual delegates conference, where members bring forward motions for the union to lobby on.
In the past they have passed motions to 'remove gendered language' from health communications for inclusivity - you know, 'pregnant people' and the like. They then lobby behind the scenes to the Government to follow these requests.

This year we have this motion -

Allow Male Workers to Perform Mammograms

Workforce shortages: there are 15 posts for mammographers on NHS jobs. In the UK.

But are we bothered? Do we not want males in this space, or does it not matter because we have male gynaecologists? Or will it dissuade women from attending?

I am interested to hear other people's opinions. My instincts say 'no way Jose', but I am interested in keeping males out of female spaces, so I accept my bias.

Thoughts?

Last mammogram I went too I was asked if a male trainee could be in the room.

This practice - of putting women on the spot is disgraceful. It can take a great deal of organisation and building up courage to attend screening, and the pressure to agree is high.

Before this fills up. Having heard the arguments. I’ve changed my mind. I don’t think they should.

Yes I agree.
It’s a routine examination but very intimate and you’re at eye level with the person manhandling your breast.

Arguments made earlier in the thread seem to repeating themselves.

It doesn’t matter that you don’t care the sex of the mammographer, or had a male health professional during an emergency or high risk health event. This is a screening programme of women who otherwise consider themselves healthy in this regard. They are being asked to put themselves through some discomfort and manual handling with a fairly low chance that something will be identified. In order to be as successful as possible such a screening programme must screen as many women as possible and if men would put some off then that is enough to only have women manmographers.

Also, like many women, I had my vulva and vagina exposed to a large number of individuals in my child-bearing years. That was now over a decade ago, I have control over my body now in a way I did not have when pregnant, and I choose not to allow male health professionals be involved with my breasts or genitals.

I think at this point, given that many medical
associations refuse to recognise that female is a sex, that men cannot be women and gender identity is less relevant than sex in a medical setting, we can’t safely assume that they will give any consideration to implementing this in a way that is good for women.

Such a good point.

The body representing radiologists are the ones proposing it so I would assume they would also play a part in implementing the service in a way that works for patients.

This was, as you say, the body representing radiologists not representing women, not representing female patients. It was proposing putting the wants of male radiologists above the needs of female patients.

Just to add to this: Ladies, if you ever go through breast cancer treatments you will also not give a damn what sex the medics or technicians are who are treating you. You will be beyond prudishness--you'll be focusing on staying alive.. When you have radiation treatments you have to expose that breast and it is quite likely that one or more of the radiation techs may be male. Just step away from the pearls slowly, please!.

No, Amiablepedant, enough of your sexist ladies and pearls.
The thread is about routine mammograms, and how the all female staff at these encourages more women to attend than would otherwise be the case.

Quit it with the condescension.

@AmiablePedant what a nasty, sneering thing to say. Sneering and cruel.

And given that 1 in 7 women get breast cancer, it's strange you would think this is a special insight only you can bring to a thread filled with many many other women. Statistically many of whom who have had treatment for breast cancer.

Not intending in the least to be cruel, but perhaps my tone reflects just how utterly astonished I am that people think it matters what sex the person is who performs any potentially life-saving scan or procedure.

It matters if women wont go for the preliminary scan to detect the problems.

Um, I was writing as a breast cancer sufferer. Why did you assume I hadn't walked the walk?

Still a bunch of very nasty messages delivered in a sneering dismissive tone.

Luckily the women working in my local screening clinic don’t think as you do, but know and understand that breast screening is a highly up close and personal procedure that should be performed by women.

How dare you be so condescending? For your information I've been through a mastectomy due to DCIS.

With bells on!!!!!!!!!

Copying your tone, what makes you think we haven't gone through breast cancer treatments, sweetheart?

Babes, have you not read all the posts explaining why breast cancer screening is not the same as breast cancer treatment, and what it is trying to achieve? The explanations of the logistics of mobile breast screening?

I would like to reassure anyone reading this that if you are diagnosed with breast cancer you will be able to talk through any concerns with a trained breast cancer nurse, and they will not call you a prude.

No I read from your post that you had. But you seemed to think it was just you. That's why I said "your special insight". It's not special.

When you get your appointment you can request to go to hospital, or to a unit with wheelchair access. Ladies with mobility issues do have mammograms so I assume that the machine is quite adjustable.

No wonder Ian Paterson got away with it for so long In a climate where nothing must be questioned

Yes, I assumed it could probably go up and down much more - I'm a pretty average 5'4", and the first appointment of the day - it didn't need much adjustment. I think ours is a newer model - the first images are with it parallel to the floor, but the second ones, the plate turns 45° for each side. I don't know if the older metal ones did.

Patients undergoing any treatment, regardless of urgency, are entitled to have their dignity respected as far as possible.

im interested in what motivates you to say we “need” to have the option of a male mammographies for routine scans?

Thats not how it works