HCPs also objectify female bodies

(85 Posts)
BlackSwan7 Sun 12-May-13 13:01:23


Some of you might have heard that medical students are brought in to practice pelvic exams on women who have been put under for a surgery without the woman's knowledge or consent.

How do you feel about this? I am personally horrified and absolutely disgusted. I know that our culture objectifies women and their bodies, but we rarely refer to doctors while talking about objectification. I think it's time we did.

Viewing a female body as something to "practice" a pelvic exam on without even seeking the lady's permission is the worst form of objectification. I do understand that medical students need to learn, and I am sure that many women would be happy to volunteer to help them out. But taking advantage of a vulnerable woman like that is just so unethical!

They are just looking at her as a vagina, uterus and set of ovaries they need to "learn" instead of a living breathing person with feelings, modesty and rights.

This IMO is just another aspect of the obstetric set up as it is which is aimed at disempowering women. It's shocking how little the rights of women are taken into account when it comes to things like childbirth and abortion, and this mindset is a part of that.

Would I be unreasonable to say this is comparable with date drug rape? I mean, rape is rarely about sex. It's usually about power and misogyny. Isn't this a way by which medical professionals are abusing their power by taking advantage of vulnerable women?

EldritchCleavage Wed 15-May-13 16:41:47

Well said 8FloraFox*.
Can you imagine anyone shrugging off doctors teaching medical students to do cystograms (up the penis with a tube procedure-think I've got the name right) and prostate checks on drugged, unconsenting male patients? I can't see that happening. Would the male patients concerned just say 'Oh well, whatever?' Unlikely.

And there is no reason to treat women with any less consideration.

lottieandmia Wed 15-May-13 16:58:49

Good posts, Flora and Eldritch.

RootinTootin Wed 15-May-13 17:12:49

"cunts like you who know fuck all about the situation" very classy and also inaccurate.

I bet I know more about the NHS than most on here which is why I'm highly skeptical.

lottieandmia Wed 15-May-13 17:20:09

'I bet I know more about the NHS than most on here which is why I'm highly skeptical.'

Ah I see - you work for the NHS so you know what has happened in every PCT up and down the country in every patient's care? Silly me for not working that out before hmm

FloraFox Wed 15-May-13 17:27:38

Classy? Coming from you, pfft.

You have insufficient information to make any assumptions about your knowledge of the NHS relative to anyone else here. This statement however together with your incorrect use of the word "irony" is evidence that your intellect is lacking. Your willingness to attack a woman who is trying to discuss a harrowing experience which you know nothing about is evidence that your morals are lacking. I suggest you fuck off right now before you disgrace yourself any further.

lottieandmia Wed 15-May-13 17:36:14

I guess people like RT are the reason Jimmy Savile got away with abusing others for decades 'I know all about the BBC, nothing like that could happen here'

BasilBabyEater Wed 15-May-13 20:34:08

LOL I wonder if Rootie works for the NHS and expects patients to be grateful to her?

lottieandmia Wed 15-May-13 20:44:09

I hope RT is not let loose on real people with his or her profound lack of empathy and skepticism.

StrangeGlue Wed 15-May-13 21:05:51

I'm horrified to find that others had similar experiences to mine. The consultant walked into the room and broke my water without looking at me and it was down hill from there. I was in the room with get for 12 hours and she didn't say a single word to me. The epidural was done wrong but not corrected for ages as no one would listen to me. I was shouted at repeated by the midwife and I had a forceps delivery which took ages and reserved my dd unable to breast feed - something I was given no support for despite asking and asking. We were discharged without her having fed at all. I can't go into the other physical stuff which happened. It's too painful even 19 months and hours of therapy for PTSD and meds for pnd later.

I too was made to feel like I should be grateful my dd is alive. I saw 17 hcp in the first week of get life and the a&e registrar was the first one to listen and actually give some advice which would work.

All of these people were female so you can fuck off with your 'why would women let this happen to women'.

This thread, by therapist and my husband are the only people who haven't made me feel like a failure or 'just be grateful for modern medicine as in the Middle Ages you'd both have died'. I should have had a c-section but the consultant didn't listen so didn't do the right thing.

lottieandmia Thu 16-May-13 00:25:39

StrangeGlue sad To assume that only men are capable of misogyny shows a shocking level of ignorance.

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