I recently had an appointment for a vaginal ultrasound, which is a standard procedure used to eliminate the possibility of certain cancers and to determine the size of uterine fibroid tumors which, while fairly common, could develop into something more troubling if left unchecked. I last had this procedure done four years ago, but in preparation for an upcoming visit with my gynecologist a current one was requested.
As I sat in the waiting room playing Words With Friends on my cell phone, a bearded and tattooed young man of about 30 called my name, then approached and asked me to follow him. I assumed he was my escort to the technician who would be doing the procedure, but as we entered the examining room and he closed the door behind me, it seemed he was that technician.
"Wait, are you doing my vaginal ultrasound?" I asked.
"Yes," he responded, "is there a problem?"
"Oh yeah. A big one. I'd like a female technician, please."
"Did you specify that when you made the appointment? What's the difference anyway?" the dumb jerk asked. "I mean, people are people."
"That may be true for your generation, but I am 76 and I can remember when there were men and women, and right now I'd like a woman to do my exam." Just to make sure he understood, things being the way they are these days, I added, "I mean someone assigned at birth as female." He sighed deeply, shook his head, shrugged his shoulders and, muttering "I don't see what's the big deal," went off in search of someone fitting my description.
The young woman who arrived a few minutes later to do the procedure was very understanding and completely agreed with me. "I told them at the last staff meeting that having guys do it was a bad idea," she said, "but nobody listens to me."
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