Kim

Age at interview: 25

Brief Outline:

No details given

Background:

No personal details given

Kim might feel more self-conscious seeing a male GP if she had to ‘show everything’. She wondered if that was about her, her upbringing or societal stereotypes.

I’ve been to the GP before when I’ve wanted to try something different [contraceptive] and it’s been, you know, a man. And I think initially there is a, “Oh God, I’m away to talk to a man about contraception.” Which, I don’t know where that comes from. But it’s there sometimes. And then I think once you start talking about it with the GP, you realise that this is what they’re there for, you know, they’ve had this a million times. Hopefully they’ll be more, you know, willing to explore options.

I think sometimes I’ve heard that, oh, you know, like male GPs just like put you in a category and just give you one type of pill, for example. Whereas women might be a little bit more, “Oh, let’s see what you would do, you would do best within your lifestyle.” I personally haven’t had that experience. I think I’ve had a good, good experiences with men and women. But, as I say, I mean I haven’t really used GPs that often for those kinds of things. But yeah…

No, that’s great. So you said that there might be a stereotype of men sort of prescribing only one kind of contraception?

Yeah.

Do you think that men would feel the same way?

Yes, I think men would feel the same way. I mean obviously I’m not male so I can’t say. But I think it’s just, it’s inbuilt in us that you can show everything to a woman, whereas showing everything to a man means something different. Which is strange. Maybe that’s just me or my upbringing. I’ve no idea. Or societal stereotypes. [coughing]

But, you know, I think, I mean I, that’s coming from a place as well that I’ve never been in the scenario of having to strip down in front of a male doctor either. So, you know, if you ask me would I be open to that, I’m not, yeah, I think I would be. Cos they’re a doctor. Like they’re obviously there to help you be better or explore whatever it is you’re there for. But I think initially in your head you, you’re kind of like, “Please be a woman, please be a woman, please be a woman.”

Do they, do they ask you? Do you have a choice between a man or a woman? Or is it kind of just luck of the draw?

I think it depends on how quickly you want to be seen. Because I remember actually there being a box, I think there was a box that was like ‘see any doctor’ or ‘see female or male’, well, for the sexual health clinic anyway. So I did tick the female.

Could have that meant that you had to wait a bit longer?

Potentially, yeah.
 

Kim doesn’t usually mind if a GP is male or female. At the sexual health clinic, though, she asked for a female doctor because the appointment would be ‘quite personal’.

How was the doctor at the sexual health clinic? Were they easy to speak to, approachable, friendly?

Yeah, she was really nice actually. I think personally from that point of view, if it was a male, I wouldn’t have felt the same. And, yeah, because I had to get quite, quite personal with her. But, no, she was really nice. And like, you know, she, I think sometimes you get doctors where, especially in the sexual health clinic, where they almost are quite, what’s the word? Nervous about saying certain words [laughs]. And I think when that happens it makes you a little bit nervous about saying certain words and describing certain things with your genitals and your relationships and stuff like that.

But I was fortunate that in that scenario she was really nice and just kind of said things how they were. Which I liked. And, you know, obviously didn’t probe for unnecessary questions. And just got on with it I think. Efficient.

So sexual health is an area you think that gender perhaps makes more of a difference?

Absolutely, yeah.

Do you think that men would feel the same way?

Yes, I think men would feel the same way. I mean obviously I’m not male so I can’t say. But I think it’s just, it’s inbuilt in us that you can show everything to a woman, whereas showing everything to a man means something different. Which is strange. Maybe that’s just me or my upbringing. I’ve no idea. Or societal stereotypes.

But, you know, I think, I mean I, that’s coming from a place as well that I’ve never been in the scenario of having to strip down in front of a male doctor either. So, you know, if you ask me would I be open to that, I’m not, yeah, I think I would be cos they’re a doctor. Like they’re obviously there to help you be better or explore whatever it is you’re there for. But I think initially in your head, you’re kind of like, “Please be a woman, please be a woman, please be a woman.”

Do they ask you? Do you have a choice between a man or a woman? Or is it kind of just luck of the draw?

I think it depends on how quickly you want to be seen. Because I remember actually there being a box, I think there was a box that was like ‘see any doctor’ or ‘see female or male’, well, for the sexual health clinic anyway. So I did tick the female.
 

Staff at the clinic were good and put Kim at ease. They asked her general questions such as her age, occupation, and symptoms.

Have you got any experience of family planning clinics, sexual health centre?

Sexual health centre? Yes, yeah, I’ve been to one before.

And can you tell me a little bit more about your experiences?

Yeah.

What you were there for and what you liked, what you didn’t like.

Yeah, I was just there for a general screening after some unprotected sex. And I found it very efficient. The lady I saw was really nice, made me feel very at ease. You know, it was quite good, well, I thought it was quite good with, at the reception. You know, it was kind of like they got all the information they needed from you without being, like personally invasive. Cos obviously it’s a sexual health clinic, so you don’t wanna be broadcasting anything too personal. And the wait, it’s like again I had to wait a while, but I think like it’s just something people accept. And maybe we shouldn’t accept it, but [laughs] with all kind of NHS services it seems that that’s the way it is.

And I guess with health, because things can escalate so quickly with other people or, then it is understandable. But, no, that was, that was a fine experience. I mean it wasn’t greatly enjoyable, but that’s sexual health, isn’t it? So . .

Was it a centre specifically for young people? Or was it for any ages?

Oh, I think, I think, no, it was just sexual health for over, like over 18s I think. But I couldn’t, I couldn’t actually be specific. Cos I literally just Googled like sexual health in [place name]. So…

Was that how you found out about them? You --

Yeah.

-- used the internet?

Yeah.

And when you went there, did you have to fill out a questionnaire or --

Yes.

-- when you registered?

Yeah.

So what kind of things did they ask?

So they asked me kind of general symptoms as to why I was there. Also my kind of alcohol history, well, not history but, yeah, like what you, what you do, what you drink. My occupation I think and age and like the kind of demographic stuff, ethnic origin and that crap. And that was about it I think.
 

Kim doesn’t usually mind if a doctor is male or female. At the sexual health clinic, she asked for a female doctor because the appointment would be ‘quite personal’.

How was the doctor at the sexual health centre? Were they easy to speak to, approachable, friendly?

Yeah, she was really nice actually. I think personally from that point of view, if it was a male, I wouldn’t have felt the same. And, yeah, because I had to get quite, quite personal with her. But, no, she was really nice. And like, you know, she, I think sometimes you get doctors where, especially in the sexual health clinic, where they almost are quite, what’s the word? Nervous about saying certain words [laughs]. And I think when that happens it makes you a little bit nervous about saying certain words and describing certain things with your genitals and your relationships and stuff like that.

But I was fortunate that in that scenario she was really nice and just kind of said things how they were. Which I liked. And, you know, obviously didn’t probe for unnecessary questions. And just got on with it I think. Efficient.

So sexual health is an area you think that gender perhaps makes more of a difference?

Absolutely, yeah.

Do you think that men would feel the same way?

Yes, I think men would feel the same way. I mean obviously I’m not male so I can’t say. But I think it’s just, it’s inbuilt in us that you can show everything to a woman, whereas showing everything to a man means something different. Which is strange. Maybe that’s just me or my upbringing. I’ve no idea. Or societal stereotypes.

But, you know, I think, I mean I, that’s coming from a place as well that I’ve never been in the scenario of having to strip down in front of a male doctor either. So, you know, if you ask me would I be open to that, I’m not, yeah, I think I would be. Cos they’re a doctor. Like they’re obviously there to help you be better or explore whatever it is you’re there for. But I think initially in your head, you’re kind of like, “Please be a woman, please be a woman, please be a woman.”

Do they, do they ask you? Do you have a choice between a man or a woman? Or is it kind of just luck of the draw?

I think it depends on how quickly you want to be seen. Because I remember actually there being a box, I think there was a box that was like ‘see any doctor’ or ‘see female or male’, well, for the sexual health clinic anyway. So I did tick the female.