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Is it wrong that patients can refuse to be treated by a certain gender?

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Original post by That Bearded Man

Is it somewhat immoral that patients can refuse to be treated by a specific gender? The obvious example is gynaecology or obstetrics where male doctors would be less welcomed, is this wrong? And what about if this then became more common in other areas of health care?

Should we support patient choice? Or is there a line where discrimination kicks in?

There was a old Indian guy on my ward who refused help from a female nurse for going to the toilet. I don't know why, maybe a cultural or religious reason. There were no male staff on the ward at the time to help him. Eventually, and I meen after about 20 minutes of trying to persuade him otherwise, the nurses left him to in the bathroom to go alone where he immediately fell off the toilet and landed flat on his face.

I think patients should able to refuse treatment from anyone, because of their gender, race, hair colour whatever, but they have to except the consequences to their treatment which can be detrimental or at least delay the treatment. Plus they expose themselves as a massive bigot.

There are few exceptions like when people are seeing or touching your naked body or whatever but if your safety is at risk, like in the case above, you have to balance out whether you value your dignity or safety more. However, I'm sure having to be pulled of the bathroom floor by female nurses then being helped to go to the toilet was far less dignified than just letting them help you in the first place.

Reply 41

username944192

I wouldn't mind if it was a male doctor and it was like a mammogram or something but when it comes to the nether regions I'd always ask for a female doctor. I'm sure a male doctor would be just as competent but I wouldn't feel comfortable with it. Also, on the whole it seems men in general are less shy about their genitalia, probably because it's external, whereas I feel a female doctor would be more aware of how embarrassing it is.

I don't think it's sexist either.

Reply 42

emi_sarb

I don't mind seeing male doctors for most problems but anything involving taking clothes off and I'd rather have have a female doctor.

You also have to think of rape/abuse victims. Many of them are scared to be alone in a room with a man, it may be sexist but it wouldn't do them any good to force them to see male doctors and the needs of the patient must always come first.

Reply 43

Aiyana_Jenipher

I think it's fair to request a specific gender doctor if it's a GP - especially if what you are going to see the doctor for is something to do with genitalia.

As a girl, I'm happy to see any doctor about any issue - except when it comes to contraception in which I feel a female doctor is better able to understand any problems and can offer empathy where a male doctor may not.

Similarly, men may be more comfortable talking to a male doctor because they can relate.

In a life - or - death situation take whoever is available, but for non-emergency matters it is important to be able to talk comfortable with your doctor, and if you find you are more able to do that with a particular gender then it is surely better that you do.

Just because THEY are trained professionals who see the human body as just a body, and do not differentiate between genders, doesn't mean we are - and part of their job is to be understanding of that.

Reply 44

Kinkerz

Original post by Kiss

No, unless they specifically say something along the lines of 'male doctors are better than female doctors'. It's more about being comfortable. For example, whilst I wouldn't want to get one I know I'll have to get a prostate exam at some point, and I'd rather a guy gave me one than girl.

Women tend to have smaller fingers :wink:

Reply 45

Kiss

Original post by Kinkerz

Women tend to have smaller fingers :wink:

That's not good enough then :wink:

Reply 46

Slazenger

to people who have said that they would prefer a member of the same sex to do the more personal exams etc.

would it alter your opinion if you found the doctor/nurse/medical staff physically attractive?

Reply 47

StartSomething

No I don't think it's wrong. If I was going to have someone looking at my down there bits I would ask for a female. However if its the other way around it could be wrong. Where I work I remember a male patient asking for a female patient to examine him, I think that's weird.
Also when I have seen female patients I have had them ask if its going to be me examine them or a male, even if its a body part not to be embarrassed about, but because of religious reasons. I also think that's fine.

Reply 48

askew116

If given a choice, for any intimate procedures I'd prefer a male doctor, but not at the expense of delaying the treatment.

Case in point, about a month ago I was admitted to hospital for a couple of days, and because my veins are very deep, the (female) doctor said she needed to try to take blood from the groin area rather than the arm/wrist. She explained I could ask for a male doctor, but that would be about a 2 hour wait, or she could do it straight away, so I chose to have the female doctor do it. As others have said, I value timely treatment by any medical professional more than my own comfort and/or dignity when in need of medical treatment.

Reply 49

Another

Original post by Jacob :)

I think patients should able to refuse treatment from anyone, because of their gender, race, hair colour whatever, but they have to except the consequences to their treatment which can be detrimental or at least delay the treatment. Plus they expose themselves as a massive bigot.

My exact thoughts on the topic.

Original post by x_x

On a slightly related topic, can Muslim doctors refuse to treat patients of the opposite sex?

No, I wouldn't say this is acceptable. Otherwise, you wouldn't deserve the title of a doctor.

Reply 50

username937957

If I went to a doctor because I suspected problems with my genitalia (like I broke my dick or something... I dunno), I wouldn't want a woman doing it. I'd feel very uncomfortable if a woman I had no personal ties to whatsoever began touching my balls, and I feel that most right-minded men would.

Otherwise, my GPs female, so I'd go to her if I suspected anything else. I don't think it's right to choose what sex of doctor you want if the only reason is sexism, I wouldn't ask for a male doctor over a female doctor because I broke my ankle, for example. And I wouldn't ask for a female doctor because I felt I'd be helping against discrimination against females or something (which is being slowly but surely eradicated in the medicine industry).

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 51

incipientT

Original post by StartSomething

Yep, that's pretty weird :wink:

Personally I don't really care whether it's a man or woman. If it's something intimate it's going to be equally embarrassing either way for me.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 52

ufo2012

Original post by That Bearded Man

Should we support patient choice? Or is there a line where discrimination kicks in?

Read all the posts, but decided to go back to the OP. Yes we should support patient choice.

Original post by Jacob :)

...they expose themselves as a massive bigot.

Who cares - it is that persons health at the end of the day.

I understand what you are saying in relation to the example you gave,

but for example - if a man didn't want a male doctor to treat him because he knew the male doctor was homosexual, or a woman didn't want the woman doctor to treat her because she knew the woman doctor was lesbian - in the end it is still patient choice - even if you think that patient is a bigot, it is their health and up to them to decide what to do.

Reply 53

mmmpie

Particularly for male patients, I can actually understand why they might prefer a female doctor for some things. Women are stereotyped as being more sympathetic is part of it; and with men being somewhat competitive with each other about things like sex you potentially loose less face.

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Reply 54

Helenia

Original post by That Bearded Man

Even though men would have more experience?

What men do when they touch their own penis is quite different from what a doctor does when they need to examine someone's genitals. :p:

I don't buy the whole "women have the same bits as me so they are more likely to understand" argument; I'm happy to see anyone who knows what they're doing, but I respect that other people feel that way.

Reply 55

The Angry Stoic

Original post by Helenia

What men do when they touch their own penis is quite different from what a doctor does when they need to examine someone's genitals. :p:

It certainly helps with washing though. I'm fine washing a mans privates but with a woman's... I don't know what's going on down there! What parts do I clean?!?

Reply 56

Farm_Ecology

Original post by ufo2012

That's true, but they still will have to deal with potential consequences, and the hospital should be under obligation to build their employment plan around the people that do have issues with being treated by certain people. For example, if someone does not want to get treated by a man, they have every right to this, but must deal with the potential problems that attitude might cause, such as there not being a female doctor available for some time. The hospital should be under no obligation to pull the female doctor out of whatever she was doing simply to deal with the persons preferences.

Reply 57

Helenia

Original post by Jacob :)

It certainly helps with washing though. I'm fine washing a mans privates but with a woman's... I don't know what's going on down there! What parts do I clean?!?

Firstly, most patients don't get washed by their doctors.

Secondly, how hard can it be? Just don't put soap or a scrubbing brush down there and I can't see how you can go very wrong!

Reply 58

The Angry Stoic

Original post by Helenia

Firstly, most patients don't get washed by their doctors.

Secondly, how hard can it be? Just don't put soap or a scrubbing brush down there and I can't see how you can go very wrong!