Man-friendly GP surgery

AmcD

What kind of things would encourage you to go to your GP with a problem?
Does it matter if the doctor is male or female?
Would you run a mile if the waiting room was full of women and children?
Would you be more likely to stay if there was a copy of "Nuts" or "Car-buyer's Guide" amongst all the sad dog-eared copies of "Women's Way" and "Heat"?

I am just curious why men are generally reluctant to seek medical advice. Women certainly don't hold back. What could your GP do to make the surgery more male-friendly?

tallaght01

My own thought, to get the ball rolling. A lot of those lads mags are literally full of topless women. Result, as far as I'm concerned. But gonna draw complaints from people in the waiting room when their kids start flicking through them.

I wonder do many surgeries do men's health checkups specifically?

Women get womens health checkups specifically arranged, with female docs. Are male equivalents widely available. With bloke docs, too? I never thought about the issue of what gender my doc was until I had a urological prob that I knew would need an examination downstairs. I'm no prude, but I just didn't like the idea of a female doc doing it.
Just made me think at the time how a lot of practices have a female doc who does a lot of womens health stuff, but there's rarely a male equivalent.

AmcD

Women's health checkups usually include smear tests and discussion of gynae issues/contraception.

For men I suppose the equivalent would include checking the following:
Blood pressure
cholesterol/diabetes check
STI screen if relevant
Prostate discussion- exam only if necessary
Smoking/alcohol discussion
There would only be a need to check "the boys" if there was a lump or other problem down there.
To be honest there aren't many practices specifically offering "Well-man" services- but then again the GPs who do offer them aren't exactly snowed under with patients.

At the moment I think male GPs still outnumber female GPs. There shouldn't really be a problem getting a male doctor.
I suspect other reasons may be more important eg opening hours etc

tallaght01

This is a very good point:

AmcD wrote: »

I suspect other reasons may be more important eg opening hours etc

Most men work. There's a good portion of women who take time off after kids, or go part-time, and can access a GP when they're not "sick".

I do wonder why GP surgeries don't run these kinds of things late. They should be able to charge enough that it makes the evening work worthwhile. I do wonder about the effect of recession on people's willingness to spend on preventative health.

I remember as a kid, when people didn't have much money. People didn't go to their GP unless they were really very ill.

Odysseus

tallaght01 wrote: »

This is a very good point:




I do wonder why GP surgeries don't run these kinds of things late. They should be able to charge enough that it makes the evening work worthwhile. I do wonder about the effect of recession on people's willingness to spend on preventative health.

Just on this my on GP have an open surgery 5-7 but you could be waiting a long time. However, the service I use is he also takes appointments from 7.30 am to 9.00, which is great if you have been fasting for bloods. Out of bed, bloods taken, then off down the road for brekie.

sam34

AmcD wrote: »

Does it matter if the doctor is male or female?

tallaght01 wrote: »

Women get womens health checkups specifically arranged, with female docs. Are male equivalents widely available. With bloke docs, too? I never thought about the issue of what gender my doc was until I had a urological prob that I knew would need an examination downstairs. I'm no prude, but I just didn't like the idea of a female doc doing it.

i wonder is that an issue for many people?

i go to a male GP.

recently, i booked an appointment for a cervical smear test and a regular consultation also, for a totally separate issue.

i assumed he would do the smear, and, tbh, it didnt bother me. its not the most dignified examination to have done, but it has to be done and having a female do it doesnt make it any more bearable, imo.

but when i got to the surgery, i saw my regular gp for the other consultation, then he packed me off to his female colleague for the smear, he didnt even give me a choice in teh matter. i was quite surprised to be honest. he said he just doesnt do them, as most women prefer a female to carry them out. i was thinking about it afterwards, and i think id have found it easier to have him do it,, as ive seen him before,and have some sort of doc-patient relationship with him, rather than they way it happened this week - i was introduced to his female colleague, a complete stranger who id never seen before, and within 30 seconds i had to whip off my clothes and hop up on the couch - a bit disconcerting!

Bottle_of_Smoke

Just on the magazines thing, reckon they should have stuff like national geographic or the economist for men to read.

suey71

Well I'll say it if none of you guys will.

ITS A SIZE THING

Whenever I've had an examination down there, I have been so apprehensive about it that it shrunk to pre pubescent proportions.
Now,I'm not small but I'm not huge and when I have to wip it out for the doc, it looks like I've been skinny dipping in the forty foot on Christmas Day.:eek:.:o.:confused:. Thats not mine Doc!! mines much bigger.

Another thing, when you go to get your Prostate checked, its a finger in the ahem. What worries me is if I wanted to go to the pooh and he'd feel it, and be disgusted with me and call me a filthy animal for ruining his new latex gloves.

I think that the Doc should have a mens health clinic once or twice a week and bring in a specialist that you wont have to look at again until your next Mens Health checkup.

I remember the first time that I had a rectal exam because of a suspected broken Cockix(horibble name and should be changed for obvious reasons). I felt horribly violated afterwards, seriously.

Well their my thoughts on the subject.

Thanks

Dr Galen

suey71 wrote: »

ITS A SIZE THING

Whenever I've had an examination down there, I have been so apprehensive about it that it shrunk to pre pubescent proportions.
Now,I'm not small but I'm not huge and when I have to wip it out for the doc, it looks like I've been skinny dipping in the forty foot on Christmas Day.:eek:.:o.:confused:. Thats not mine Doc!! mines much bigger.

i know it's hard to believe suey71 but really after a first one or two they become nothing more than lumps of meat. big small short fat, we've seen em all as medical people, and tbh we don't give a **** don't forget we also understand that people get freaked when getting examined etc, so we know to expect a bit of shrinkage etc.

Another thing, when you go to get your Prostate checked, its a finger in the ahem. What worries me is if I wanted to go to the pooh and he'd feel it, and be disgusted with me and call me a filthy animal for ruining his new latex gloves.

the gloves are thrown away between uses. so dirtying them ain't a problem. that's the point really, for them to get dirty and not the fingers. there's absolutley no way a doc would be disgusted with you for feeling something in your back passage. Again suey71 nothing to stress about. It's so common in the line of work, that it's not even noticed.

I remember the first time that I had a rectal exam because of a suspected broken Cockix(horibble name and should be changed for obvious reasons). I felt horribly violated afterwards, seriously.

fair play dude for being so honest.

your not alone here either, it's not pleasant for sure but its necessary. no one enjoys it to be fair.

tallaght01

suey71 wrote: »

Whenever I've had an examination down there, I have been so apprehensive about it that it shrunk to pre pubescent proportions.
Now,I'm not small but I'm not huge and when I have to wip it out for the doc, it looks like I've been skinny dipping in the forty foot on Christmas Day.:eek:.:o.:confused:. Thats not mine Doc!! mines much bigger.

I feel you, man. That's EXACTLY what happens to me!!!! I've had a circumcision, and a ball lump that I had to get checked, and this has happened EVERY time a doc checks me out.

I just wanna say "listen, man. Straight up. This isn't how small it normally is".

I thought I was the only one :P

suey71

Thanks lads, for replying so soon.

Hey Mystic, I was only kidding about the latex gloves btw.

I just thought I'd reply to this thread to let the other Doc's and nurses on here realise what its like.

Also I put humour in my post to try to make light of my situations and to make it less uncomfortable for me to be honest.

I know us lads will have to get used to going to the Doc more often and a Big Thanks to AmcD for bringing this up.

Lets hope that no Ahole with a Beavis and Butthead attitude comes on and gets the thread locked
Thanks again.

Dr Galen

you mean pee pee in my bum hole don't ya???

I kinda thought you were jokin dude, but had to sure.....if I had of made light of it and then you turned out to be serious, well, that'd be bad!

suey71

lol. brings back memories.

Dr Galen

see thats the kind of thing that would make it easier for me to go to the Doc.

flatscreens on the walls, showing good movies or football. Even sky sports News at a push. Some decent magazines, nothing raunchy now to be fair, don't wanna have the opposite issues to Suey and Tallaght01 , cars, sports, current affairs.

hell when we're at it how about an xbox or playstation?

my old barber had a few things like that. he was always packed.

AmcD

tallaght01 wrote: »

I feel you, man. That's EXACTLY what happens to me!!!! I've had a circumcision, and a ball lump that I had to get checked, and this has happened EVERY time a doc checks me out.

I just wanna say "listen, man. Straight up. This isn't how small it normally is".

I thought I was the only one :P

I am being totally honest here: Having examined many mortified men, I have never thought about the size of the goods on show. Just on one occasion I was a little startled to see one man had gone for the "back, crack and sack". Presumably this was for his partner and not for a 10 minute GP consult ( jesus I hope not- the pain!)
Likewise I have examined nearly all varieties of breasts and fannies. So far all I can say is that there is a surprising amount of natural human variation, but none of it shocking.

Taltos

This has got to be one of the funniest / frankest threads I have read here for a while...

Mods - when this is done - can you stickie this for the "bad days"...

Know what you mean about shrinkage. Just had the snip and my little fella decided to play the turtle so much yer man had to bring out the tweezers.
6wks later still bruised from the grip he had to use to stop them dar lads from joining the rest of my stuff...

edit:
Do not mind male / female doctors - once they are polite and appear interested.
But - cannot stand waiting beside some wailing infant or a kid running around like they are in a playground - always sends my blood pressure thru the roof.