Thursday, September 9, 2010

Um, I want medical care, not sexism

So, I wanted to make a doctor's appointment for the annual check up, make sure my vag is all good and whatnot, but I encountered a bit of sexism along the way.

I was all excited to make this appointment because it's my first appointment that's not at a planned parenthood or student health services since I saw a pediatrician. I've got a job I love with great health benefits and was excited to book my first appointment as an adult with a real job, but the appointment booker asked some questions that I'm sure she would have never asked a man.

1) Are you married? Which I kind of get for insurance purposes, but that question could have been asked in a much better way: Do you have insurance? Who is your carrier? Whose name is the policy under? To which you would answer "my husband's" if that was the case. Her follow up to that was: I guess I'll make the account under your name, then. Um, so women don't usually have their own accounts? Why the hell not? Why can't a woman be in love and married to someone with out having their identity tied up in his?

2) Do you work outside the home? Yeah, I work outside the home, how the hell do you think I have insurance if I'm not married and I'm 25 years old (which they know from my birthday)? And who the hell asks a question like that anymore anyway? Is it 1962? Isn't it pretty normal for someone to "work outside the home." And I mean if you do have like, a business you run out of your home it's still kind of like "working outside the home" it's not being a housewife. And who the hell is a housewife, anyway? I work a lot outside the home. Most of my time in "the home" is spent sleeping.

3.) Is this appointment for you or one of your children? Why the hell do you assume I have kids? Seriously, because I'm a woman I've popped one or two out? Why couldn't you ask if this appointment was for me? Leave the kids out of it.

I'm very annoyed right now and I'm not sure if I'm going to keep this clinic as my primary care facility, we'll see how the actual appointment goes, but right now I'm not impressed. Not that the questions they asked weren't valid, but the way the asked them was very sexist. Worst of all, these questions were asked by WOMEN.

I'm pretty sure that none of these questions would have been asked if I was a man. It's annoying that because I don't have a cock all of a sudden it's 1962 and I'm Betty fucking Draper.

Small towns are cute and all, but they need to join the 21st century when it comes to equal treatment of men and women.

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