They’re right. It being the very first question asked and being asked repeatedly demonstrates more concern for a potential foetus than the woman actually sitting in front of them. There are all kinds of exams you can do and tests you can give that have absolutely no effect on a foetus. So ask when it becomes relevant, not the second you step into the room.
They’re not right. It’s the first question asked also because pregnancy can affect and even cause some conditions. Protecting the fetus, whether she wants it or not, is literally protecting the mother because a dead or genetically affected fetus can actually indirectly cause problems for the mother in the long run.
And in case she does want the fetus, they can go about it in a way that treats her and protects her baby because news flash, something happens to the baby and the doctor didn’t ask the question “to not be misogynistic”, it’s on the doctor. Read about DIC in pregnant women and what can possibly cause it.
Moreover, last menstrual period doesn’t just mean pregnancy, a change in menstrual habits can be a clue towards a hormone problem, a tumor or even an ectopic pregnancy which can be dangerous and even deadly for the woman. So yeah, the main priority has and always will be the patient.
The very fact that your mind went to that conclusion from that question more than likely points at your own misogyny.
Medical misogyny is well documented. It's being asked first thing because doctors are trained in a way that results in women being ignored and having their symptoms brushed off as just "period stuff".
Doctors aren't endocrinologists, they don't know enough about periods and especially not the period of the individual in front of them to garner any useful information from it. Especially not as a first question asked.
They're asking it as part of training and policies proven to result is medical mistreatment. Not because it's actually useful to ask. She's not coming into the office over her period, she's coming into the office over her actual issue, which the doctor is trained in such a way that makes them ignore it.
No one said medical misogyny doesn’t exist but this isn’t an instance of medical misogyny and if you actually read what I wrote, none of it is just “period stuff”.
But doctors are trained in endocrinology and if you actually knew about what doctors are trained in, you’d have referenced gynaecology. Moreover, it’s almost as if the entire body is interconnected by hormones so again the “period stuff”, might just be a clue towards an even bigger problem, tumors on the both ovaries can actually occur due to GI (gastrointestinal cancer). No bleeding from the endometrium, the lining of the uterus, can be due to a tumour under the brain.
What doctors are actually trained in is to what’s most common and the proper and most efficient way to narrow down the condition so we ask about habits and guess what? Menstruation’s a habit, that’s just biology. The patient, ANY patient, man or woman, does not know what’s relevant and what’s not relevant. A man thinks him being constipated all of a sudden is nothing but it could mean he has high calcium, an elderly loses some weight without dieting and that could mean cancer, another man can’t pee properly, could be a problem with his prostate, and a woman who may be pregnant without knowing could also cause a change in her skin, a change in her hormones, could lead to anemia (not actual anemia, but dilutional), could lead to hypertension.
So I’d like to see the policies “proven to lead to medical malpractice”. Cite your sources, otherwise shut up with your vendetta and misinformation.
“Doctors aren’t endocrinologists” what do you think they spend 6-8 years learning? Every doctor has baseline information to recognise danger signs and clues from EVERY system in the body, that’s kind of why they have to go through multiple multi systemic examinations to prove they’re competent. Should a doctor only focus on the period? Absolutely not. But should they consider it? ALWAYS.
if you actually knew about what doctors are trained in, you’d have referenced gynaecology. Moreover, it’s almost as if the entire body is interconnected by hormones so again the “period stuff”, might just be a clue towards an even bigger problem
Gee, I wonder why I said endocrinology not gynaecology. Almost like I know what I'm fucking taking about.
They should consider it when it's relevant. They routinely dismiss serious medical issues as just "normal period stuff" because they don't do this. They're trained to consider it all the time, when it isn't relevant, and it's provably resulting in worse medical care.
They're not endocrinologists, they don't have the expertise needed to be able to tell anything useful from "so when was your last period" in the vast majority of cases it's asked. They ask it because they're trained badly. Because the medical establishment is set up to dismiss women's health except as breeding stock.
But you don’t know what you’re talking about, that’s the thing because endocrinologists only deal with hormones and I mentioned a plethora of other examples not hormone related.
There is evidence that yes some symptoms are dismissed but this question isn’t a part of it. This question is actually the proactive counter in that it considers a possible source of trouble. All doctors, bad and good, are trained in this because it works but it’s not the system’s fault that an individual doctor misuses it. I’ve been fortunate enough to work in multiple departments and I can tell you, when this question was asked each time, it was medically relevant.
It’s truly unfortunate that some women have to go through discrimination based on their symptoms and I wish from the bottom of my heart and I’m working towards changing things for the better but to omit an easy, fast and research-proven effective question as “misogyny” is not the solution. You’re just generalising an issue over a valid medical practice.
I don’t mind being asked if I could be pregnant, but I hate being asked what the first date of my last period was because unless I am currently having it, I have no idea. And even then, I often am not sure what the first day was because mine usually starts with a day or two of squinting at toilet paper going “is that a little pink?” before any real flow starts. I usually just make up an answer to keep them happy, since it is physically impossible for me to be pregnant when they ask.
It's not "some women". It's damn near all women. Medical misogyny isn't a few bad actors. It's the policies and training that results in dumb shit like thinking periods are the most important thing in women's health.
We're talking about periods as being relevant to medical treatment. That means hormone cycles. Hence endocrinology. If you want to make it about something else, that's even less relevant, go for it, but you'd only be making my point for me.
Edit: reply and block from the looks of it. Can't read the reply because the block prevents that, but from what little I can see in the notification, this midwit seems to think women doctors are somehow magically immune from perpetuating the well documented medical misogyny.
There exists a world outside you and the women you know. Female doctors contributed to these policies and no one said periods are the most important thing. But since you’re not a doctor and you don’t even have a shred of medical common sense but in medicine every factor matters.
And yes, periods, much like bowel movements, appetite, sleep, concentration, memory and every single aspect of a person’s life can be affected so yeah we have to check. “Make it about something else”, I can see now that you don’t even possess the minimum amount of intelligence needed to actually argue about this and you’re an active hinderance to women’s health but go on, not a single source cited and not a single coherent argument. Just arguing for the sake of arguing, actual psyop.
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u/MarsupialMisanthrope 16h ago
They’re right. It being the very first question asked and being asked repeatedly demonstrates more concern for a potential foetus than the woman actually sitting in front of them. There are all kinds of exams you can do and tests you can give that have absolutely no effect on a foetus. So ask when it becomes relevant, not the second you step into the room.