i don't think men and womens medical needs can be compared in this context. As a man, my prime concern is with the doctors competence above anything else. I would think it would be something like 1% of all potential medical issues that I could have, that I would be more comfortable if I was treated by a man. For a woman that % could easily be more than 50%

It's isn't just fear of assault. I want a female who gets me because she's been there herself. Sadly, medics are just human beings. Although the majority will be great, there will be a few who are not. If I requested a female medic on religious grounds the request would be met immediately. I don't understand why that's acceptable and simply choosing a female - and I mean a born female - to examine you.

And as for your original question, I have always found the NHS, despite their shortage of funds and overwork, will always go the extra mile to make someone comfortable if they are able. If a man would prefer a woman medic, and one is available, I'm sure they would make it so.

It was double standards for a lot of years. Males have only been able to train in a civi nursing profession since 1951 and even now only make up just over 11% of all nursing staff. Its not that far back when women were discouraged from becoming doctors. Men were seen as the real professionals and women were seen as the Florence Nightingale's.

Male nurses really don't mind when a woman asks specifically for a female. It rarely happens though. Black nurses, male and female have more problems attending elderly females that white male nurses.

When it comes to specialized treatment, many patients still prefer male doctors.
My gynecologist is one of the top gynecologists in the country. His female nurse however is a grumpy brisk cow who I feel very uncomfortable having around whilst I'm being examined.

My third midwife was a male and he was the kindest most caring midwife I've had for all of my children.

A man can't just request a female nurse or doctor but if there are issues then that obviously has to be considered. Any patient has a right to have a chaperone (normally a health assistant or nurse)

Don't know if it's the same in England but in Scotland, they do always have to ask if it's OK for a student to sit on on any appointment / procedure. My youngests sleep specialist nurse even had to ask if her student could come in and all they do there is sit and chat about how things are progressing :shrug:.

Ok thanks both. It's not something I've ever really thought about before but thinking about it now, I can't imagine feeling a preference of the gender of my doctor, say if it was a prostate exam or something where a male doctor might understand better what it's like to go through one. So I get where you're coming from Livia I just struggle to really understand it I suppose since I don't feel it myself. Maybe bots is right and it's more a male/female thing. Makes me wonder if a part of it is actually due to women being more likely to be shamed over their bodies, feeling judged by men, general objectification of women in society compared to men, and all of that having an impact.

Quite possibly Jamie, also as BOTS said women tend to have to spend time with Doctors for womens stuff a big percentage of the time they spend at the Doctors in general. My GP is female and I find when I'm trying to explain things to her she knows exactly what I'm talking about first hand where as it's different if I have a hospital appointment and have a male Doctor it's more of an awkward conversation for me

And here's me shouting "catch!" as I throw the receptionist my still-warm pot of jizz :umm2:...

GP surgeries and clinic appointments/home appointments are different to A&E and ward care.

Scott dressed as a nurse stealing it

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/__HpVztwktw/maxresdefault.jpg

I can see why women would want a female nurse for invasive procedures.
When i got my balls checked i had a male doc do it.On a different occasion i had a female doc slip her finger up my butthole.I’m not sure which i was more uncomfortable with tbh.
Just glad my male doc didn’t have to do the asshole checking,Mother****ers got big fingers :eek:

They are driven by irrationality and ignorance. You've taken what would be a rare and almost unheard of hypothetical scenario and you are treating it like it would be the norm and whether you intend to or not, you are demonising transgendered people by putting them all in the same light as sexual predators.

A man isn't going to be able to say 'I'm a woman now' and stroll into the women's changing room just like that even if self certification becomes a thing. Women won't be made to have intimate examinations done by someone they aren't comfortable with doing it. You've taken what is a story that was confirmed on all sides to be a clerical error, ignored all logic and reasoning that said it was so in order to fuel your own agenda of hating anything that isn't exactly like you.

You should pay attention, I've said to you a few times in this topic that I disagree with self certification, the current process we have isn't perfect and there are many transgendered people who are unhappy with the choices they've made and I think taking the professionals out of the equation to help guide people to the correct solution for themselves is a mistake. I actually agree with Theresa May in saying that transgendered people shouldn't be treated like they are ill but it should be mandatory that experts in the field oversee the process to make sure it's the right thing for the person in question.

As for your 'it doesn't affect you' line. Does sexual assault only happen to women in women's changing rooms? Men can be just as dangerous to other men, just like women can assault other women. Do you treat other women with such suspicion, sure, sexual assault by a woman on another woman in a changing room is probably rare but probably not as rare as an attack by a 'transgendered' person that's only pretending to be transgendered in order to rape people. Where's your concern for the safety of women from other women? Do you understand what I'm getting at here? You are using an almost unheard type of incident to fuel your agenda and it's just foolishness. There are many real issues that plague women regarding their safety that are way more common than the hypotheticals you are spouting but I doubt you'll ever talk about them since you only seem concerned about feminism when it's in regards to 'justifying' your hatred of whatever people you hate on any given day.

I think in all the years I've known you, in both names you've had on this website. I'm not sure I've ever seen you comment on a feminist issue that hasn't involved trying to justify your prejudices in some way. You pretend to be a feminist but you just want to vindicate your hatred.

More likely to get good contact with the prostate then NM, don't knock it until you've tried it. Those sausage fingers might have redefined your sex life.

Yeah she didn’t have to go that far up.Enough to make me wince though.It was a weight lifting incident.
Not down with the sausage fingers penetration,Not even for fun :laugh:

If you are lifting weights with your ass, you are doing it wrong :laugh:

Lol no.I split my sphincter squatting too heavy.

So glad you all know the intimate details of my cornhole now.

It's just simply about what helps us to be the most comfortable. Doctor's visits are not trip to the park. It's talking about personal issues and not everyone wants to talk about those things on a frequent basis.

This is all anecdotal/hearsay, but it seems like women are much more in-tune with their self-care than men. Sometimes I think we obsess too much about our own bodies, but in the very least, we think far more about it and that discussion tends to make men kinda crazy or lack words to respond... :laugh: (some of my male doctors are like this)

When I did caretaking, you could see the differences in how men and women deal with healthcare. Men, I don't think they want a woman who over-analyzes all their inner workings, so I notice some prefer men (though they seem to be more OK with either). My husband doesn't want to deal with it. Men hate being babied and my husband dislikes it when I 'worry' over him (and then gets mad when I'm right later on). Women are usually the nurturing ones, so it's a bit weird when we're on the other side needing the actual nurturing. It can make some ppl feel a bit vulnerable, especially those who are so used to caring for other. So it's difficult to describe what is going on, and often there is a strong emotional component to it that needs unpacking.

For example, when I took my grandmother in to have something treated, we had a male doctor and she had trouble speaking up "Does this hurt?" "Yep". I put her in front of a woman, and after we got through a few questions, she delivered like a book. Basically, it comes down to trust. Men would rather just get through the visit with as few prompts as possible and say only what is necessary. Unless it's talking about how they ripped a whatever working out or picking up furniture, they tend to be more a-emotional when it comes to health.

Women also tend to not only want to, but need to talk out their problems on a more emotional level, especially in the cases where there are diseases that effect women in larger numbers and have higher emotional components. When it comes to things like hygiene or self-care for our own specific "issues", we prefer a female because they usually speak the same language and just "get it" with fewer fuss (and empty stares). It just goes much smoother.

If you tell a man about all the cramps and different foods that make us look bloated, men are just going to flop over in their seats and roll their eyes :laugh: That's just almost always seems to be the case. Men don't fixate on their health and some male doctors don't understand why we make such a big deal out of it.

When I was put in a study, they gave me a half-inch thick "manual" of sorts on how to cope with the disease. It's not a simple take medication and it'll be fine. It requires an elimination diet and treating your issue(s) like food allergies and also analyzing how you handle stress in your life (which was really difficult given the symptoms). I literally had a lady I spoke to over the phone regularly who kept up with my treatment (and did hand holding) and I don't think I could've gotten through that without my sisterhood. I also subscribed to a forum that is pretty much 99% women and the comradery I found there is just simply amazing.

There are diseases that effect women in much larger numbers (like 90%) and their symptoms do connect or at least become exacerbated by high stress factors. This is anecdotal, but it just seems like women's bodies just tend to be more sensitive to various factors, such as diet/emotional/hormonal. For example, I've known more women to have severely bad reactions to hormonal shifts than men. I can't take birth control for example. My husband is actually out of range on some of his, but he's asymptomatic, so he doesn't need medication.

Anyway, I have switched to male uro (he's a freaking badass) and a male gyno now, so it's not like male doctors can't be good too. But, I've long learned to cope and know my regime, so I'm just in need of "maintenance" every now and then. I don't really need anyone to hold my hand anymore.

TLDR: To sum it all, it's about trust and making the visit the least stressful/embarrassing/traumatic (:laugh:) as possible. Women tick differently than men, so we have different things that come into consideration compared to men.

:hehe:

Thanks Maru that's all very interesting to think about.

It's interesting you mentioned your grandma's experience. My Grandma is currently experiencing some problems with mental health issues and without going into too much detail on a public forum lol (and it's all pretty complicated), but basically she recently refused help from her GP (who is a man) or to discuss what's been happening recently with him. It wouldn't have even crossed my mind that his gender might have been a factor in her shutting herself off from medical help. And it might not be that, she has quite a complicated history, but it's interesting to consider that she might be more willing to get help or communicate with a female doctor. It's something to think about anyway.

Been where?..We are not all uniform with replica experiences even of the most base of functions therefore I don't understand your logic here.
To treat a patient do you need such an intense connection, if you were being treated for an ailment would you insist the doctor had experienced it prior to consultation?

Yeah, obviously it it varies by situation/circumstance, but there are times when being with someone who is better in sync with your specific differences are key to your care. A transgender may prefer another transgender physician for example, because they may see or consider things in someone's care that a non-trans would see. It's just better to have a choice. Obviously, there are times when it doesn't really matter. Like an ER, unless there's some sort of religious practice that not to have a male physician work with you, it should be reasonable enough to deal with whatever. And I don't think God would be too upset if you were unconscious and really had no say... and you wouldn't be aware of it anyway.

My other grandmother when she worked nursing (20+ years ago), she had to deal with elderly pt's who didn't want to be seen by African American men or other men, etc. They had mental issues as well (things like Alzheimers) and would flip a **** and get violent (like panic attack sorta rage) if you didn't comply with them. She's very understanding despite this and says it's pretty inhumane to try to place one's personal/politic motivators over the care of the pt. It's also not worth the time and effort to sit there and argue with them to convince it to do it their way. When she quit nursing, she started care-taking and some of the people she care-taked for were some of the most vile/obscene... like she would drive one old man around and he would scream out at other passengers in other cars "You *****ing n--" (etc)... he had been shot one time for doing that and that didn't change his behavior. He was quite vile. Some people you can't change no matter how much social conditioning you add to the equation... everyone has their neuroses. It's just a fact of life and something she not only accepted but affected her practice. She treated them all the same and they love/trusted her for it. In fact, part of the reason she quit working at the nursing home and went into caretaking was because too many people kept requesting for her. (plus she was getting too old to be doing as much of the heavy lifting)

Kizzy.... you could talk a pie off a shelf.

There you go again - with the hate. That is a word far more common in your vocabulary than mine.

Every time I express opinions on anything involving a minority group you stereotype me as a racist, homophobe etc. Classic shut-down tactics and your problem not mine.

You’re not a woman, you don’t how it feels to be a woman and you will never really get it so don’t try and kid people you know more about feminism than women. You are not the thought police however hard you try to be.

Tell you what you have whoever you want to perform intimate examinations on you but how about you afford the same freedom of choice to others. You make your choice whilst others will make theirs without explanation to you or anyone else.

Yeah I read about this a few days ago. If a female is requested, there should be a female doing it.

I know this was claimed to be an admin error, but the transsexual person actually argued with the patient when the patient mentioned requesting a female and they said 'I identify as female' or something...but identifying as female does not make you female. This is absolutely an issue about consent, and I do think that patients should be able to request a certain sex of doctor for intimate examinations.

Ah, I didn't read the link as I had already read the story elsewhere, it was not 'I identify as female' it was as the article stated

So whilst this was claimed to be an admin error, the transsexual person obviously believes that identifying as female means one is female. Which is false.

The only person trying to shut anyone down is you by trying to make out that I'm the 'thought police' for saying my opinion. It's what you always do and then in the same breath you'll accuse other people of doing the same to you.

You have no self awareness to the point that it's just bizarre at this point.

I don't claim to know more about feminism than most women, I just know more about it than a faux feminist like you that only mentions feminism when it comes to hating muslims or whichever minority whose turn it is to deserve your bile. You'll accept things like the DUP/Tory deal despite the fact that the DUP want to erode women's rights just because it serves your real agenda of hating muslims/immigrants etc. You are only a feminist when it serves your HATE and yes I will use that word because, while you don't use the word often, it defines who you are as a person perfectly.

Your opinion is not protected from criticism, Brillo. No one's is so stop trying to make out that no one can comment on what is frequent and obvious bigotry on your part. If you don't like those claims refute them.

This is a debate section, DEBATE.

Oh sorry I thought this was the debate section and that was the idea?...

I will doesn't stop me voicing the opinion that the concept is a nonsense... As in it makes no sense.

As women we don't all intrinsically understand one another, and electing people to perform duties in this field only reaches so far... in a specialised or emergency situation it would be anyone, unless you prefer to not accept treatment in those circumstances also to sustain your 'principles'.
I suspect not many would have their ethics stretch that far.

Definitely agree with this. Transition completed, ok.

However in a medical setting I really do still think that even transitioned transsexual people should not be sent if a certain sex is requested. Luckily the current law does have an exception for this. Just if it all gets changed..it does remove the rights of both women and men to a same sex (or oppiosite sex..I know a lot of men who request female doctors for anything to do with intimate exams) HCP.

Thats not true. My husband always requests men for intimate exams. And male friends apparently ask for female ones and get them.

You seriously think you debate. Plenty of people have tried debating with you and clearly winning the arguement but you always turn it into how right you are and how ignorant and ill-informed they are, same old lines. You will not admit to your failings and just keep playing the same self-righteous saviour of all things minority.

You in all your wisdom state as fact I HATE Muslims because I don’t approve of mass migration and do not support the wearing of a Burkha in public. Now I aaparently hate transgender men because I don’t want female privacy and choice eroded and point out the obvious risks associated with allowing any man claiming to be female in female areas. If those opinions in ithemselves define hate in your world then bully for you, but it is a very small and convenient world you live in.

What about all the victims worldwide, mainly women, of Islamic hate, hate that kills and controls, but ssshh we can’t mention that - it isn’t PC.

See NM, Mr Vicky knows the score.

What you must put your poor wife through. :nono:

I agree. Another reason, because even if they transition, fine... but what if they're not "passable"? Not to be rude, but some people would still see a man if certain features made it more obvious. It's just the way it is. Now, if people mean by transition, that they dress like the self-identifying gender, then that makes sense I guess because if you see dress/lots of make up, then you know a woman... but not only can be that difficult in a setting with uniforms, but then you run into that whole gender spectrum/gender conforming boogie man where you're not quite a girl, not quite a boy and then you may be a girl, but you dress like a boy? Or a boy dresses like a girl? It's just too much for me, it's like chasing your own tail :laugh: I'm all for doing whatever the hell I want, but put a checkbox on my form, "transgender OK?" I can check this? OK. Easy. Otherwise it's forcing the situation and needlessly pushing the doctor/nurse+patient into an uncomfortable confrontation and causing another one of these stupid articles to get printed in the papers.

Uh oh. Mine does too. Has he strayed from Team Vagina? :worry:

That's a bit backwards Maru. Just because me, your husband, Vicky's husband, Northern Monkey and Marsh like a large weather-worn finger in the butt, does not mean we aren't straight :nono:.

Well as long as it's only Team Maru then it's OK. But I have pretty long, but quite slender fingers. It's those painterly/artist hands you know... more for fine grippage and charismatic fluid strokes... so maybe not so good for door #2, but maybe good for other creative outlets :smug:

It's a shame we can't self-exam, this thread would be so easy. I mean we do self-breast exams once per month (well, we should...) to check for lumps. If a penis stops working, it's pretty obvious. It's just a finger for you guys for a minute or two(?), but for the women's the doctor goes spelunking with an a double ice cream scoop for 10-15. I've never asked my husband about his anal spelunking... actually I'll ask him in the morning

...just going back a bit in the thread, yeah I think that it would be 'perfect' if it was always possible for our wishes/preferences to be catered for..in an 'ideal world of NHS' as it were...but the NHS is struggling a bit in this country so that may not always be possible for the long-term future..?...I've had several procedures in hospital which have not been routine procedures and in all honesty, the gender of the person carrying them out hasn't even entered my thoughts..so I guess I have to think..would it be right for me to be 'selective' just because the procedure was a routine one, like a smear test..?...no I feel it would be wrong for me to feel like that because in an NHS where many are reluctant to be a part of it in their job/vocation in the current climate, I'm just thankful that there are those who still want to join and be a part of the care of us all...

... although there will always be some people who would abuse positions of trust in all walks of life, I do believe they are the very small minority so it's not something I could really occupy my thoughts with too much...if it were the thing that people didn't feel comfortable with transgender nursing staff then a vocation desperately needed could just be wasted.../sad...

Do you have the liberty normally of changing doctors in the NHS? In the US, it's your job to search and find a physician, of which there's usually a wide network (especially in a metro). Maybe some types of insurance prefer you pick a primary care (like dental), but for many, you can change in-between PCPs without informing ins or even the prior office. And specialists are always chosen by you anyway and is your job to research. They may be chosen by the ins if your area/coverage is very limited. (That's odd though)

My grandmother is retired and yes, they do receive Medicare (govt-subsidized), but they also get private ins (their choosing) and sometimes there is a supplemental for what's called the "donut hole". The ins is usually quite flexible. Edit: Oh and we get a tax document at the end of the year, so it ends up being tax deductible (if medical costs exceed a certain percentage) since is automatically redrawn from your social security (from govt after retiring after 65), so that's nice too.

I think that is ideal, because you can pretty much mix and match your care. For example, if I were transgender, I could see a transgender PCP and then choose specialists according to expertise. In the progressive side of Houston, a lot of the LGBT folk are well-networked and so not uncommon to run into folk there running their own businesses and the community there pretty much supports them on their own without having to worry about the rest of the county. Free market really shines in this respect. We do not have state income tax and small business to chain ratio is 20:1/10:1 (maybe more o_O), just going by store facades. Chains are not as common as just everyday folk running a business and there are plenty of choices for pretty much everything in a city that spans 100-150 miles (massive sprawl), so plenty of opportunity for people to target niche markets since it is an entrepreneur friendly city... we're already a majority minority city, but forgot by what margin.

Edit: Anyway I can see where that would really impact someone's concept of the status quo and vice versa