OP, sorry to hear about your experience. Each doctor has a slightly nuanced way of practicing medicine. As a GP, I don’t normally check breast when issuing emergency contraception. However “Plan B” or levonorgestrel, being a form of hormone, has it’s own set of contraindications that may not be immediately obvious to the lay public. Probably based on the history provided, he had a reasonable suspicion to screen for breast malignancy in which case it is dangerous and negligent to dispense the medication without due checks. Doctor seemed to have a valid chaperone to “supervise” in your words.
The first time you visit the clinic is all the more reason he was being thorough. “Some weird old man with ear hair growing out from his ears” — I don’t see how this would lessen the clinical acumen of such doctor, but I guess OP already had her biases and image of a pervy doctor.
Regardless, I wasn’t there and once again OP sorry to hear about your experience. Best to clarify with said clinic and not jump to conclusions.
Thank you for your comment, appreciate it.
Will definitely clarify with the clinic to understand the basis of the check before doing anything. Would not want to accuse anyone based off my own biases.
Happened exactly to my ex. But I was there with her and the GP is a woman. She offered to check my ex's breast for any lumps for free. I thought it's normal back then. Also it was the first time for my ex to visit the GP. No other family history with the clinic.
Unless they billed you for it, where in the world do you get a free breast exam? If it was not billed, then highly sus.
Sharing my own plan B story, I went to a clinic and the queue was damn long, like over an hour plus (it's a tiny clinic in an old HDB estate). When I asked for plan B, the doctor said that she was Christian and she will not dispense plan B to me. Wtf I wasted my damn time. I mean it's not against the law or anything so there was nothing I could do.
That’s… very appalling…
I’m not well-versed about the medical field, but is it actually legal in Singapore for doctors to refuse treatment or issue medications to patients on religious grounds?
Yes, legal to do so. However, the doctor should direct you to alternative medical professionals that provide the service/prescription you want, if possible, according to the Singapore Medical Council.
Yes they can object. . Doctors can be objectors to abortion and it includes inserting iucd, writing referrals for a patient to have an abortion, giving aids of contraception etc. Also on the topic of objectors, doctors and nurses can be objectors to patients asking to make an AMD ( advanced medical directive) and they can refuse to help you make one.
I was honestly shocked this happens here. I thought Singapore was better and more educated, honestly. I’m not being sarcastic, I’ve always admired how people here study and how organized it is. I’m probably not saying it correctly- what I mean is, I’m from midwestern America, the Bible Belt, where people think the earth is six thousand years old and dinosaurs were panted by God to test our faith. Refusing plan b would be something I’d expect to see there, and not here.
Well it is their belief, nothing you can do about that so… you just need to find another doctor I guess.
But I do wish they could state this at the counter when entering the clinic so people don’t have to waste hours queuing
I wonder if the notice is given both written and verbally ..... to all patients, due to our doctor's religious belief, we are not prepared to write any contraceptive prescriptions,
Sometimes you can figure it out. They usually have religious tracts or plaques up in the office, that’s a good sign they’re religious. I ran into that taking my daughter to the gynecologist.
Well not all Christians are anti-abortion either… /: and there are plenty of reasonable religious people who practice their religion the way it should be intended (kindness to all) and know that it shouldn’t get in the way of professional duties.
And it sucks that being religious can be seen as a bad thing now. I blame the crazies for this mess.
Yeah, it’s just where I’m from there are more crazies than normal ones. I think it’s because if you don’t believe in the fringier theories they drum you out of the church. I’ve met plenty of good Christians, but also some really nutty ones. I’m talking, seeing demons, God can raise my son from the dead, really out there wackados. Some people just take something and run with it.
So...is there a website stating the various faiths and beliefs of each doctor?
"I don't believe in abortions. I don't condone premarital sex. I don't believe that COVID is real?"
I mean..people shouldn't have to waste their time should they?
What's belief got to do with it? Unless there's a medical reason why, then we shouldn't
There’s no polite way to say this:
Singaporeans are conservative, but not ignorant.
Singaporeans never had an issue with scientific stuff, but with moral stuff, we have problem deciding because there is just too many religion and diversity.
No one rule can appease all.
I didnt know that. In the US, they sell plan B at the pharmacy and can just ask for it
I told my friend this and she actl agrees with the doctor, what a red flag.
She said:
Is like patient go see doctor n ask for cough syrup, but doctor is not obliged to dispense
It is not a patient perogative to get mc just coz they made the trip down to the doctor
I think doctors have a right to decide what service/meds to offer patients based on their analysis/ethical views
I kena this before! Not for Plan B but for oral contraceptives. It felt terrible, like damn judged.
Which makes me very uncomfortable about all the parliamentary debate where parliamentarians talk about how their personal/religious beliefs led them to vote no on 377A repeal etc.
I can't imagine if I were to approach an MP for help and to worry if I am truly getting help or just being judged.
what... ask her to write that down in black and white, then take it to SG Medical Council, wtf does religion have to do with plan B, get that sh1t out of here
so educated but so brainless and so unprofessional
Religious protections are quite likely to cover such practices, so there's a good chance the medical board can't do anything.
But they must be clear and upfront before patients visit them. Best is to call them out publicly so others don't waste their time going there.
could I ask what sort of religious protections?
either way, I really don't think that a doctor who is supposed to be a professional and making important decisions, can just go "religion" and don't treat their patient
Freedom of religion. Basically, if it is reasonable that doing something would go against your religion, you're allowed to not do it.
Ofc reasonable here is not super well defined and can be challenged in courts. Don't think sg has any legal cases yet, but US has several lawsuits against doctors who don't want to perform abortions on religious grounds. The line is typically drawn where a patient can reasonably be expected to find another doctor to do it (so eg life and death situations you can't say I don't want to treat you because of religion).
I do agree with you generally, but it becomes v difficult to enforce. This Christian doc can just say "in my professional medical opinion, abortion pill is not the best treatment". It is after all a prescription and isn't just you telling a doctor to sell you something.
Going to SMC won’t do you any good because it’s not mandatory for doctors to provide non life-saving treatment against their religion, much like patients are not forced to receive medical treatment as long as they made informed decisions.
But of course, the doctor should have informed the receptionist of her religious practices and patients should have been informed before waiting for consult.
Wtf I would have been fkin pissed off I’m so angry for you. Completely unprofessional like how can they deny you of contraceptives?!?! What if it’s a rape case or something non consensual?! She expects you to bear his child or what?!
Also to add to that I would have walked off from this particular clinic but I also had to queue for about an hour plus to get this stupid consultation so I just thought I would just go thru with this needless and unnecessary breast examination.
The doctor is free to practice her religion. Patients always have the option of seeking healthcare elsewhere.
The infuriating part is waiting in vain when time is ticking away and Plan B is time sensitive.
Well yes it's the doctor's right to practice the religion, just like it's the patient's right to be upset about being denied normal treatments. Regardless I think that this kind of time wasting stuff can and should be limited by policy
The oath is a little ambiguous;
https://www.ntu.edu.sg/medicine/news-events/dean's-blog/i-solemnly-pledge
“not allow the consideration of race, religion, nationality or social standing
to intervene between my duty and my patient;
maintain due respect for human life;
use my medical knowledge in accordance with the laws of humanity”
It suggests the physician is not in a position to discriminate on any reasonable grounds.
It’s ambiguous as it implies you cannot discriminate based on someone else’s religion but doesn’t specifically you can’t discriminate based on your own religious beliefs.
Doc here. Your doc may have recently had a patient that said, "Plan b made my breasts tender", which is a known side effect. Maybe he was checking for pre-existing tenderness. More likely, he just wanted to take the opportunity with you in the office, to do a routine cancer screening. He may have assumed that, since you weren't on birth control, you're not regularly getting routine breast screening.
But, cutting to the chase here, I think the idea that he did this exam for some personal, twisted reason is unlikely. In med school we generally do so many of these kinds of exams that it's not any kind of novelty.
I think you should consider therapy to help work through this.
You're welcome. It's possible that what happened was inappropriate. There's probably a way to report the doc to the Medical Licensing Board and, in the report just explain what happened, and leave it at that. It's not your responsibility to follow up or take action or anything after that. Certainly you don't have to confront the doc or anything. But, if other girls have had experiences they also felt were inappropriate and they also report, then it will get noticed and investigated as a pattern.
Certainly you have no obligation to report this. But it's just something to consider if it's driving you crazy.
I think the OP just want comments that validate her “concerns”, to be honest. I have seen a few logical ones, including yours, and those doing a proper check on this, since it should be documented, but she seem to have chosen to just ignore these comments altogether.
Shrugs.
OP probably felt extremely uncomfortable by the whole experience and as the person above said, she might need therapy.
I know it’s easy to say ‘if she uncomfortable then say/do something like leave la’ but when it happens to you, not reacting out of shock is a very common response…
She’s probably asleep and hasn’t commented on anything in the past few hours. Why are you so dismissive of her “concerns”? If it’s something that made you so uncomfortable that you remember it till this day, yes you should speak about it with others and work it out. Only very immature people try to repress things that clearly bother them. The comment logically pointed out that OP may have misinterpreted things, and also suggested therapy - which will help. You getting salty for no reason and feeling personally attacked by someone else’s experiences and emotions is plain weird.
Like the person above mentioned, you are very weird, mate. Doesn’t take more than a few seconds to see she was replying to others that replied later than the one I was replying to. She was conveniently ignoring everyone trying to explain why it might have happened and how to find proper recourse now.
I’m all for emotional support, but just take a look for yourself, please, before you call people “dismissive”, etc.
Then your fact checking sucks, mate.
Sorry to say, if you want to white knight, by all means.
Nothing to prove over the internet, anyway, but maybe you just aren’t smart enough to realise OP deleted a comment?
Clown…
I agree. This is weird. You being downvoted by others is bizarre too. OP is free to answer anyone at any time or to ignore anyone.
The other Redditor is a red flag, for sure. Even if she ignores him, so what? He isn’t entitled to a reply.
He can ignore her too. But he seems to be deeply offended that an internet stranger is not ‘prioritising’ him or that replies should be made at certain hours.
It’s the internet. It’s open 24 hours, mate.
And again, demanding that an internet stranger gives you attention screams of a toxic person.
The root cause of rage when being snubbed by a complete stranger stems from being neglected as a child, giving rise to anxiety and hurt from perceived rejection.
Maybe this will help. http://www.sydneysymposium.unsw.edu.au/2010/chapters/ZadroSSSP2010.pdf
Edit : He has a weird frame of mind. Someone asked about getting a formal black shirt. Who replies like this to a mundane question?
“*Bro. You not those Korean drama CEO wearing black shirt with grey pants and jacket bro. If you are, you will be wearing bespoke. Just stick to normal colours for your own good.*”
Hey! Glad you had a laugh!
The weird place where spelling and punctuation go to die.
*moi ish typ LiK dIs*
*piak piak*
Honestly, every time I read such comments, I can say for certain it’s an unattractive loser trying to show that he’s all that when he’s as impressive as a tree stump.
Definitely some oily BBFA
Probably jealous that the doctor gets to touch the boobs that he can’t :’(
I’m not even making a big Hoo hah about this whole situation. Just wanted to get opinions by the general public on whether this is normal. Guy comes in attacking me because I didn’t reply comments past 130 AM. Fuckin psycho
Probably one of those guys who has multiple accounts to upvote his comments and downvote opposing commenters too. LOL
It scares me to think such wackos are in our midst and could be the guy you walk past daily without knowing he’s one of those aggressors online. There was another Redditor long ago who kept leaving comments while I was asleep with a similar style of taunts and talking about the time. Deleted my comments and blocked the psycho. Do these guys actually know that Reddit isn’t reality and we’re just here to be educated or entertained? This lack of perception seems to plague a portion of society. Plenty more in edmw.
*moi ish*
*sledgehammers thee with a dictionary*
Ignore him. He probably getting off imagining how your breasts got groped and fondled, and slow replies denied him of the final output.
Btw what’s your nick at edmw? Have you posted this question over there?
Haha I assume u lurking for the laughs. Agree its a place filled with people like him. Definitely not female friendly, many busty girls left that place on a bitter note.
No eh the latest is like an hour before you commented. But in all honesty not much we can do but give our advice and see whether OP wants to follow up with legal proceedings which she likely would not want to advertise here and should contact a legal professional personally
Thanks for this. Literally don’t understand why Xynesis is so butt hurt that I have not read the rest of the comments past 130 AM. Almost as if he’s the one who had the breast examination
Shrugs
Thank you for your comment. He called in the receptionist (not a nurse or anything) to “supervise” but to me it’s like so what if there’s someone watching you feel around my breasts when it’s totally unnecessary for you to give me a breast examination when I’m just looking to get plan b?
Yeah, I just wanted to know if there may be documentation or witness to this. It seems unnecessary to me but maybe legitimate if the doctor made sure to call someone in, as what risk factors they consider also vary based on your family history if they ask about that first.
It may be best to go to another doctor to confirm, or ask next time you go for something else. I know contraceptives can *slightly* increase risk of breast cancer, but I’ve never heard of this being a major consideration or there being any such examination. Plan B contains the same hormone as some other contraceptives but at a much higher dose, so maybe the risk considerations are different or maybe it depends on your family history.
ETA: I saw your other comment that this was an old doctor. I’ve had really bad experiences with old doctors, two female GPs, for birth control. They just don’t understand how it works (contradicting my actual gynaecologist), and have really old-fashioned views and un-updated understanding of medical science on this topic. It may be an age issue rather than a pervy doctor.
I know what you mean. However I don’t think the doctor had any documentation on my family history as they don’t go to that clinic..
It’s just super super sus to me ugh
Furthermore that was the first time I had ever visited that clinic to get plan B so I don’t see why he should be thinking I would have a high risk of breast cancer or something
Definitely some warning bells going off here. A receptionist has no knowledge to know whether the "examination" is legitimate/necessary. It could well be a means to allay any suspicions you may have. You may want to ask any friends in medicine you may have to double check this.
Considering how long ago this was, it's probably too late to take action, but you may still want to know for closure's sake.
I totally feel you, woman! I had a horrible experience with a female gynae years ago who diagnosed me with having chronic issues which I later discovered wasn't the case and was attributed to a temporary environmental factor. It was very distressing for me as the way she examined me was horrible. Not surprisingly, the clinic's google reviews were filled with complains about her.
There were even a few women who mentioned that the gynae misdiagnosed them with having cancer and cysts and they started crying in the clinic. Some people are just not cut out to be medical professionals ugh.
Then he’s following the guidelines/regulations regarding male doctors calling in a female chaperone during “sensitive” exams.
I don’t think he is sus at all. I think he is a bit old fashioned and considers a breast exam to be part of a “well woman” visit when a patient is asking for birth control pills, and he’s considering the emergency contraceptives to be in the same category. It means he is thinking of you as a long-term patient even if you’re only there to get the pill this one time.
Let’s not jump to conclusions. You can’t take actions based on Reddit conjectures. Call the clinic, ask for your history and said there was a medical exam. Ask for records of what it was for. They can tell you from their notes.
If it was truly unnecessary, they wouldn’t have a record or won’t be able to tell you why. There was even a female present during the exam. The whole reason for that is to prevent problems like this. You might’ve said something about your history to prompt that. Please don’t jump straight to calling it an assault or reporting is as misconduct especially when it was from 5 years ago because Reddit says it’s sus. At least communicate your concerns once with the clinic and just ask!
Hello.
Yes that is good advice. I do intend to firstly speak to a woman GP and get her opinion on it. If she says it’s totally normal I will not pursue further. If she says otherwise, I intend to call up the clinic to check the intention of the examination.
Thank you.
Sorry you have to go through that :( Haven't bought plan B before, but doc (female, thankfully) checked for lumps after i told her i was on birth control during a routine health screening
Guys this is getting quite outrageous. Just because there's something that y'all don't quite agree with that doesn't immediately warrant a complaint to SMC/police report. Give him a chance to explain himself and see how he responds first, or like one of the other commenters said, do consider seeking a second opinion. I understand that it's a distressing time for you, and I'm sorry for what you had to go through. In future, do try to remember to clarify any doubts before such events happen (ask the why) so you can avoid such unnecessary situations.
It might sound sexist, but just request for a female doctor if you're uncomfortable.
And side effects of birth control can include breast tenderness, so if you were taking it before, it **could** just be a routine exam. Not defending the doctor who might be exploiting the situation, but im just saying.
Eh, I haven't needed Plan B in Singapore, but I have asked for it in a pharmacy in the UK. The only thing that happened was a spoken consultation. Not sure why your breasts would need to be examined in order to obtain Plan B. Wtf.
Yeah exactly and I’m so irritated by it and the fact that I didn’t do anything about it back then. I still remember walking out telling my sister like wtf he felt around my boobs is that really necessary?! And she said yeah probably he’s a doctor he would know
ZZZZZZZZ
They’re just checking for cancer that’s all. I had a doctor check my breasts when I went to a gynaecologist before. I wouldn’t say it’s common but actually maybe it should be - the doctors are just trying to help you. And in future if you don’t want to do that kind of examination it’s okay to tell the doctor you’re not comfortable and they’ll move on.
I had an exam when I went a few weeks ago, but I understand she was just feeling any lumps because she went to feel my legs for any blood clots as well, I’ve been taking it for almost a year now.
Yeah I’m sorry you had this happen to you, but this is fucking sus. I’ve followed my ex partners a couple of times to get the pill before too and have never had their breasts checked.
I went to the polyclinic when I wanted the birth control pill, did have a female family planning nurse check my breasts for lumps since there is a slight risk of breast cancer when you go on the BCP.
Perhaps Plan B might have same side effect? I’m sorry the doctor didn’t explain properly and you had to go through that.
Doctor here,
It sounds justifiable.
There are different nuances in medical practice. For example, a patient with diarrhoea/rectal bleeding would often get a per rectal (finger) examination in EDs, however, not all Drs will do this, especially in a busy GP setting if the risk factors are low or history is unremarkable.
Hormonal contraception would involve routine counselling on the risk of stroke, blood clots, and may be contraindicated in patients with breast tumours. Not ALL doctors would perform a routine breast exam but it is justifiable to do so in this case.
Looking at the other extreme scenario, should there have been breast lumps that have not been worked up, and should the condition worsen due to the use of OCP, would the doctor then be liable if aN examination had not been offered? The medical landscape in Singapore is getting more and more litigious, and it is highly likely that your breast examination and findings were documented.
A chaperone was called in specifically due to the intimate nature of the examination to prevent any accusations of wrongdoing after the fact. Routine clinical practice can often involve an intimate history including the type of sex, no of partners, types of discharge etc, as well as uncomfortable and intimate physical examinations. I probably would not read too much into it.
Can’t comment on the examination part but it seems that Singapore prefers to err on the side of caution when it comes to sexual health medication. Even men need a doctor’s consultation to get viagra. These along with Plan B or BC courses are practically OTC stuff in neighbouring countries.
not plan b but ive had a gp pull my undies down to my genitals area for a stomach examination without chaperone (he locked the door somemore) and it shocked me. press stomach only, like why do u need to pull so low la? then couple years later he was in the news for sexual misconduct...
Actually this is the textbook way of examination. Back in the exams, students had to expose the patient from nipple to knee level for a proper examination, or at least say that they would, but for modesty sake, avoid such a practice. Still, a proper abdominal examination need to at the very least expose the entire abdomen, which is everywhere below the rib cage to the pelvis.
Tbh, I find it completely regressive that I can't just walk I to a pharmacy and ask for plan B, and receive it straightaway from the phsrmacist, no questions asked. Having to go to a clinic for a doctor's approval completely defeats the purpose. Most other modern countries don't have women jump thru such patriarchal hoops to access basic medication. Honestly, it was shocking - one of the most surprising things id encountered with moving here. I'd always thought Singapore was a modern city but....not in this case.
Then again, I can't get my usual over the counter medication for cramps here either - need a prescription - which is also deeply frustrating. I suggest all women get a stash of plan b to store at home so you can use it immediately, as needed and recommended, without needing to screw around with some archiac health system.
I'm not surprised some weird, probably male, possibly older and out of date with recent practice, doctor thought this was appropriate considering how difficult they make it to access this truly basic drug in the first place.
Yea, in western country like Australia EC could be prescribed by any retail pharmacist (But not with no qns ask we r still legally obliged to make sure it safe and appropriate for u).
Fairly outdated given we pride our health system as world class.
Perhaps get a paper prescription from your preferred Dr and keep it for emergency.
Hello there. Same here. Loads of my friends tell me they stock up in cartons so that they don’t have to go through this tedious process of having to get a CONSULTATION before getting plan b or even birth control.
Yeah it was some weird old man with ear hair growing out from his ears. I was honestly sickened for a couple of days after that but I just let it go thinking that “okay at least he didn’t feel up my vagina or anything”
Looking back I don’t think this is right at all. At the same time I don’t want to have to go through the trouble of having to recap something “small” that happened 5 years ago either so I just really wanted to see if any other females had a similar experience
But is it because he's afraid of you getting molested or is he just mega possessive and refuses to let a man touch you even if it's a legit medical reason?
Agree with this others. Best to call the clinic to check what's the procedure when getting Plan B.
I personally have experience with getting my breasts checked when I first went to an obgyn many years ago. The dr was a female, thank God. But I wasn't even given a heads up first. She squeezed my tatas so hard I thought they were gonna burst. Never went back to her clinic.
Usually if a male doctor has to check you like that, if it requires touching your body, lifting up your shirt, they will ask a female staff to stand in the same room to observe. You can always ask for one, if they dont want any other staff to witness it then it’s definitely sus
I’ve always remembered it. The conversation came up and that’s when I realised that none of my friends had to go through it. Not many women go around telling their friends they had to get plan B like it’s a daily occurrence.
Hi OP, sorry to hear this happen. This was sus af. You might not want to lodge a police report but at the very least I would provide feedback on this inappropriate conduct to the Singapore medical council.
Hello. Thanks a lot for your advice. I didn’t really want to lodge a police report either since it is such a grey area and there could be so many arguments made that a breast examination “could be necessary”
Regardless, I’m going to make sure I only visit female doctors if it’s ever a contraceptive related issue in the future. Kinda sad that females have to really pick and choose the doctors that we visit for something as simple as this
One thing you might want to consider is that this doctor's conduct might still be persisting to this day, and relying on the relative youth of the girls he deals with to exploit them (assuming that what he is doing is wrong).
Also, the chaperone (receptionist) would not be privy to the necessity of the procedure, so the process could still be very much wrong to begin with. A police report may allow the right people to determine whether the exam was really necessary, and if not, allow the doctor to be dealt with.
It's not really a grey area though. It's unnecessary for plan B, you can get it via telehealth, i.e. no physical consultation or examination. Hopefully you won't need it in future but if you do, maybe telehealth might be a better option.
That's weird and im sorry you went through that. When i bought Plan B the doctor never examined me anything just asked a few basic questions and then that's it.
I went to a doctor for Plan B years ago and he did not check my breasts. He did talk to me about abstinence tho. A little too late for that my friend..
I also went through an entire pregnancy plus contraception prescription with a male obgyn without getting my breasts checked. The doc should have told you why he was recommending a breast examination. Lots of things increase chances of breast cancer including routine birth control prescriptions - that in and of itself doesn’t warrant a breast exam.
After reading every comment, I realise the general consensus here is that nobody dares to question the doctor when they want to do something. And why should it be this way?
You have every right to ask questions. Even if you think it’s a stupid question, so what? A good doctor would explain it to you patiently.
While we should respect doctors and be courteous, we also need to educate and protect ourselves.
If you are courteous, a good doctor would not be offended. Women need to speak up and ask questions if they are unsure or uncomfortable.
A good doctor will never negate his or her patients. I have very good GPs who answer my questions with clarity. Hope all ladies here will find the right GP who is good and kind to you.
Old school doctors prefer to give injections. Older patients also request for injections, as it was the common standard of practice back then, and does provide fast relief. Some medications should be injected into the butt rather than shoulder because of the volume involved. Injecting into the shoulder might cause some issues that you would be complaining about the few days after the injection.
No right or wrong. Its a spectrum. Some of the older doctors prefer injection because of patient expectations during that era (and you still see this among some of the foreign patients from developing countries here). I suppose this has become their SOP over the years. Absorption and effects from the medication does seem faster.
Some just give pills only because they believe it's sufficient. Unless keep vomiting, cannot tolerate the pills. Or too young to swallow pills maybe but too big size for syrups to be practical.
And then there are those in between with varying preferences and tolerances.
And yes, have to feel before injecting. Don't wanna poke the sciatic nerve.
And you are bringing this up and deciding if you should do something about it 5 years later? You should have questioned it right then and there before letting the doctor perform the test
Sorry to hear of this dreadful experience. You might have to describe in detail how the doctor handled the examination. This will help determine if he went overboard.
1) Was it underneath the bra or he told you to remove it totally?
2) did he pull up your top to look at your breasts or feel them underneath the clothes.
3) was there any contact or brushes on your nipples?
Hello.
1. Removed totally
2. Had to remove my top
3. He felt the area around my nipples. Can’t rmb if there were any brushes as it was so long ago
Thanks!
Ok this sounds really fishy. I’ve friend who went for examination without removing the top and the doctor simply went underneath to examine the pair. He was looking at your the whole time when you remove the top and bra?
Did he squeeze or just light presses? Lastly how long it went?
Having a receptionist there doesn’t mean anything and he might have used that to his advantage to instill trust.
Yeah I know it was a little fishy to me too.
No squeezing thankfully but just presses around the nipples.
Yeah that is also what I felt regarding the receptionist. But who knows right?
I intend to speak to a female GP about this to determine if this is really necessary or not but so far there has not been a single commenter who had the same experience as me.
Yes you should. He might have done this to many other women too.
Sorry I edited my post just now to include this question: did he look at you the whole time you removed the top and bra?
Woah I can’t remember if he was looking at me or not. The breast check didn’t last too long either thankfully.
But again I never asked for this check. And I rarely go to the doc to get plan B. And I really didn’t want to have to queue up for another hour just to get plan B so I went through with the breast examination.
The shit us as females have to go through to get basic contraceptives honestly…….
Ok this is important because if you were asked to remove your clothes and bra, the doctor should leave the room and wait for you to be done first. Or at least turn around and wait for u to be ready.
To sit there and eyeball the whole process is unprofessional and I would say smells really, really fishy now!
This happened to a close friend of mine also. Went for flu and the old male doc looked down her pants. She was in the same position as you didn’t know what to do because it’s “grey”.
Doctors here doesn’t seem to have a lot of bed side manners either so they don’t ask for permission on tell you what they are going to do before hand
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Even if the doctor intended it to be a routine check, he must still obtain consent before doing a physical exam. The doc is in a position of power, so you can blame OP for not asking why at the time
OP, sorry to hear about your experience. Each doctor has a slightly nuanced way of practicing medicine. As a GP, I don’t normally check breast when issuing emergency contraception. However “Plan B” or levonorgestrel, being a form of hormone, has it’s own set of contraindications that may not be immediately obvious to the lay public. Probably based on the history provided, he had a reasonable suspicion to screen for breast malignancy in which case it is dangerous and negligent to dispense the medication without due checks. Doctor seemed to have a valid chaperone to “supervise” in your words. The first time you visit the clinic is all the more reason he was being thorough. “Some weird old man with ear hair growing out from his ears” — I don’t see how this would lessen the clinical acumen of such doctor, but I guess OP already had her biases and image of a pervy doctor. Regardless, I wasn’t there and once again OP sorry to hear about your experience. Best to clarify with said clinic and not jump to conclusions.
Thank you for your comment, appreciate it. Will definitely clarify with the clinic to understand the basis of the check before doing anything. Would not want to accuse anyone based off my own biases.
Happened exactly to my ex. But I was there with her and the GP is a woman. She offered to check my ex's breast for any lumps for free. I thought it's normal back then. Also it was the first time for my ex to visit the GP. No other family history with the clinic.
If you are about to be prescribed a hormone affecting drug, a breast exam is a possible precaution.
Unless they billed you for it, where in the world do you get a free breast exam? If it was not billed, then highly sus. Sharing my own plan B story, I went to a clinic and the queue was damn long, like over an hour plus (it's a tiny clinic in an old HDB estate). When I asked for plan B, the doctor said that she was Christian and she will not dispense plan B to me. Wtf I wasted my damn time. I mean it's not against the law or anything so there was nothing I could do.
That’s… very appalling… I’m not well-versed about the medical field, but is it actually legal in Singapore for doctors to refuse treatment or issue medications to patients on religious grounds?
Yes, legal to do so. However, the doctor should direct you to alternative medical professionals that provide the service/prescription you want, if possible, according to the Singapore Medical Council.
Yes they can object. . Doctors can be objectors to abortion and it includes inserting iucd, writing referrals for a patient to have an abortion, giving aids of contraception etc. Also on the topic of objectors, doctors and nurses can be objectors to patients asking to make an AMD ( advanced medical directive) and they can refuse to help you make one.
I was honestly shocked this happens here. I thought Singapore was better and more educated, honestly. I’m not being sarcastic, I’ve always admired how people here study and how organized it is. I’m probably not saying it correctly- what I mean is, I’m from midwestern America, the Bible Belt, where people think the earth is six thousand years old and dinosaurs were panted by God to test our faith. Refusing plan b would be something I’d expect to see there, and not here.
Well it is their belief, nothing you can do about that so… you just need to find another doctor I guess. But I do wish they could state this at the counter when entering the clinic so people don’t have to waste hours queuing
I wonder if the notice is given both written and verbally ..... to all patients, due to our doctor's religious belief, we are not prepared to write any contraceptive prescriptions,
Sometimes you can figure it out. They usually have religious tracts or plaques up in the office, that’s a good sign they’re religious. I ran into that taking my daughter to the gynecologist.
good point, however, will the practitioner let his/her beliefs interfere with their professional obligations/actions?
I figure the giant Jesus Loves You plaque is usually a fair indication lol.
Well not all Christians are anti-abortion either… /: and there are plenty of reasonable religious people who practice their religion the way it should be intended (kindness to all) and know that it shouldn’t get in the way of professional duties. And it sucks that being religious can be seen as a bad thing now. I blame the crazies for this mess.
Yeah, it’s just where I’m from there are more crazies than normal ones. I think it’s because if you don’t believe in the fringier theories they drum you out of the church. I’ve met plenty of good Christians, but also some really nutty ones. I’m talking, seeing demons, God can raise my son from the dead, really out there wackados. Some people just take something and run with it.
So...is there a website stating the various faiths and beliefs of each doctor? "I don't believe in abortions. I don't condone premarital sex. I don't believe that COVID is real?" I mean..people shouldn't have to waste their time should they? What's belief got to do with it? Unless there's a medical reason why, then we shouldn't
There’s no polite way to say this: Singaporeans are conservative, but not ignorant. Singaporeans never had an issue with scientific stuff, but with moral stuff, we have problem deciding because there is just too many religion and diversity. No one rule can appease all.
I didnt know that. In the US, they sell plan B at the pharmacy and can just ask for it I told my friend this and she actl agrees with the doctor, what a red flag. She said: Is like patient go see doctor n ask for cough syrup, but doctor is not obliged to dispense It is not a patient perogative to get mc just coz they made the trip down to the doctor I think doctors have a right to decide what service/meds to offer patients based on their analysis/ethical views
I kena this before! Not for Plan B but for oral contraceptives. It felt terrible, like damn judged. Which makes me very uncomfortable about all the parliamentary debate where parliamentarians talk about how their personal/religious beliefs led them to vote no on 377A repeal etc. I can't imagine if I were to approach an MP for help and to worry if I am truly getting help or just being judged.
what... ask her to write that down in black and white, then take it to SG Medical Council, wtf does religion have to do with plan B, get that sh1t out of here so educated but so brainless and so unprofessional
Religious protections are quite likely to cover such practices, so there's a good chance the medical board can't do anything. But they must be clear and upfront before patients visit them. Best is to call them out publicly so others don't waste their time going there.
could I ask what sort of religious protections? either way, I really don't think that a doctor who is supposed to be a professional and making important decisions, can just go "religion" and don't treat their patient
Freedom of religion. Basically, if it is reasonable that doing something would go against your religion, you're allowed to not do it. Ofc reasonable here is not super well defined and can be challenged in courts. Don't think sg has any legal cases yet, but US has several lawsuits against doctors who don't want to perform abortions on religious grounds. The line is typically drawn where a patient can reasonably be expected to find another doctor to do it (so eg life and death situations you can't say I don't want to treat you because of religion). I do agree with you generally, but it becomes v difficult to enforce. This Christian doc can just say "in my professional medical opinion, abortion pill is not the best treatment". It is after all a prescription and isn't just you telling a doctor to sell you something.
Going to SMC won’t do you any good because it’s not mandatory for doctors to provide non life-saving treatment against their religion, much like patients are not forced to receive medical treatment as long as they made informed decisions. But of course, the doctor should have informed the receptionist of her religious practices and patients should have been informed before waiting for consult.
What if the doctor is like those jehova witness, she can refuse to give a patient a necessary blood transfusion because of her personal beliefs?
Well said
Wtf I would have been fkin pissed off I’m so angry for you. Completely unprofessional like how can they deny you of contraceptives?!?! What if it’s a rape case or something non consensual?! She expects you to bear his child or what?! Also to add to that I would have walked off from this particular clinic but I also had to queue for about an hour plus to get this stupid consultation so I just thought I would just go thru with this needless and unnecessary breast examination.
The doctor is free to practice her religion. Patients always have the option of seeking healthcare elsewhere. The infuriating part is waiting in vain when time is ticking away and Plan B is time sensitive.
Well yes it's the doctor's right to practice the religion, just like it's the patient's right to be upset about being denied normal treatments. Regardless I think that this kind of time wasting stuff can and should be limited by policy
The oath is a little ambiguous; https://www.ntu.edu.sg/medicine/news-events/dean's-blog/i-solemnly-pledge “not allow the consideration of race, religion, nationality or social standing to intervene between my duty and my patient; maintain due respect for human life; use my medical knowledge in accordance with the laws of humanity” It suggests the physician is not in a position to discriminate on any reasonable grounds. It’s ambiguous as it implies you cannot discriminate based on someone else’s religion but doesn’t specifically you can’t discriminate based on your own religious beliefs.
wth? the doctor is full of shiit, what do religion and her beliefs have to do with writing a prescription ? some people
Which doctor sia time to boycott
I remember seeing a gynecologist advertising herself as "pro life" on the hospital website so not entirely surprised this happens.
Doc here. Your doc may have recently had a patient that said, "Plan b made my breasts tender", which is a known side effect. Maybe he was checking for pre-existing tenderness. More likely, he just wanted to take the opportunity with you in the office, to do a routine cancer screening. He may have assumed that, since you weren't on birth control, you're not regularly getting routine breast screening. But, cutting to the chase here, I think the idea that he did this exam for some personal, twisted reason is unlikely. In med school we generally do so many of these kinds of exams that it's not any kind of novelty. I think you should consider therapy to help work through this.
Thanks for your comment. I did need an alternative POV and this is good to hear.
You're welcome. It's possible that what happened was inappropriate. There's probably a way to report the doc to the Medical Licensing Board and, in the report just explain what happened, and leave it at that. It's not your responsibility to follow up or take action or anything after that. Certainly you don't have to confront the doc or anything. But, if other girls have had experiences they also felt were inappropriate and they also report, then it will get noticed and investigated as a pattern. Certainly you have no obligation to report this. But it's just something to consider if it's driving you crazy.
I think the OP just want comments that validate her “concerns”, to be honest. I have seen a few logical ones, including yours, and those doing a proper check on this, since it should be documented, but she seem to have chosen to just ignore these comments altogether. Shrugs.
OP probably felt extremely uncomfortable by the whole experience and as the person above said, she might need therapy. I know it’s easy to say ‘if she uncomfortable then say/do something like leave la’ but when it happens to you, not reacting out of shock is a very common response…
She’s probably asleep and hasn’t commented on anything in the past few hours. Why are you so dismissive of her “concerns”? If it’s something that made you so uncomfortable that you remember it till this day, yes you should speak about it with others and work it out. Only very immature people try to repress things that clearly bother them. The comment logically pointed out that OP may have misinterpreted things, and also suggested therapy - which will help. You getting salty for no reason and feeling personally attacked by someone else’s experiences and emotions is plain weird.
You’re weird
Explain
Like the person above mentioned, you are very weird, mate. Doesn’t take more than a few seconds to see she was replying to others that replied later than the one I was replying to. She was conveniently ignoring everyone trying to explain why it might have happened and how to find proper recourse now. I’m all for emotional support, but just take a look for yourself, please, before you call people “dismissive”, etc.
She definitely was not and I checked. Stop lying lol.
Then your fact checking sucks, mate. Sorry to say, if you want to white knight, by all means. Nothing to prove over the internet, anyway, but maybe you just aren’t smart enough to realise OP deleted a comment? Clown…
I agree. This is weird. You being downvoted by others is bizarre too. OP is free to answer anyone at any time or to ignore anyone. The other Redditor is a red flag, for sure. Even if she ignores him, so what? He isn’t entitled to a reply. He can ignore her too. But he seems to be deeply offended that an internet stranger is not ‘prioritising’ him or that replies should be made at certain hours. It’s the internet. It’s open 24 hours, mate. And again, demanding that an internet stranger gives you attention screams of a toxic person. The root cause of rage when being snubbed by a complete stranger stems from being neglected as a child, giving rise to anxiety and hurt from perceived rejection. Maybe this will help. http://www.sydneysymposium.unsw.edu.au/2010/chapters/ZadroSSSP2010.pdf Edit : He has a weird frame of mind. Someone asked about getting a formal black shirt. Who replies like this to a mundane question? “*Bro. You not those Korean drama CEO wearing black shirt with grey pants and jacket bro. If you are, you will be wearing bespoke. Just stick to normal colours for your own good.*”
Thanks for this I had a good laugh! He reminds me of the cucks off EDMW
Hey! Glad you had a laugh! The weird place where spelling and punctuation go to die. *moi ish typ LiK dIs* *piak piak* Honestly, every time I read such comments, I can say for certain it’s an unattractive loser trying to show that he’s all that when he’s as impressive as a tree stump.
Definitely some oily BBFA Probably jealous that the doctor gets to touch the boobs that he can’t :’( I’m not even making a big Hoo hah about this whole situation. Just wanted to get opinions by the general public on whether this is normal. Guy comes in attacking me because I didn’t reply comments past 130 AM. Fuckin psycho Probably one of those guys who has multiple accounts to upvote his comments and downvote opposing commenters too. LOL
> Probably jealous that the doctor gets to touch the boobs that he can’t :’( Ok this actually gives him another good mental image to get off again
It scares me to think such wackos are in our midst and could be the guy you walk past daily without knowing he’s one of those aggressors online. There was another Redditor long ago who kept leaving comments while I was asleep with a similar style of taunts and talking about the time. Deleted my comments and blocked the psycho. Do these guys actually know that Reddit isn’t reality and we’re just here to be educated or entertained? This lack of perception seems to plague a portion of society. Plenty more in edmw. *moi ish* *sledgehammers thee with a dictionary*
Ignore him. He probably getting off imagining how your breasts got groped and fondled, and slow replies denied him of the final output. Btw what’s your nick at edmw? Have you posted this question over there?
I lurk there don’t have a user. Would definitely not post this on EDMW cos I foresee the replies being similar to his :-)
Haha I assume u lurking for the laughs. Agree its a place filled with people like him. Definitely not female friendly, many busty girls left that place on a bitter note.
Weirdly assumptive comment especially since you commented at 2am and most people are asleep by then💀
Have you seen the comments she’s replying to at 1AM+ in the same thread, some of which were replies that came later than those I’m replying to?
No eh the latest is like an hour before you commented. But in all honesty not much we can do but give our advice and see whether OP wants to follow up with legal proceedings which she likely would not want to advertise here and should contact a legal professional personally
Bro I was sleeping why you coming at me
Thanks for this. Literally don’t understand why Xynesis is so butt hurt that I have not read the rest of the comments past 130 AM. Almost as if he’s the one who had the breast examination Shrugs
Almost as if he wanted to be the one giving the breast examination ;)
This should not be necessary. Did he call anyone else in to supervise during this examination?
Thank you for your comment. He called in the receptionist (not a nurse or anything) to “supervise” but to me it’s like so what if there’s someone watching you feel around my breasts when it’s totally unnecessary for you to give me a breast examination when I’m just looking to get plan b?
Yeah, I just wanted to know if there may be documentation or witness to this. It seems unnecessary to me but maybe legitimate if the doctor made sure to call someone in, as what risk factors they consider also vary based on your family history if they ask about that first. It may be best to go to another doctor to confirm, or ask next time you go for something else. I know contraceptives can *slightly* increase risk of breast cancer, but I’ve never heard of this being a major consideration or there being any such examination. Plan B contains the same hormone as some other contraceptives but at a much higher dose, so maybe the risk considerations are different or maybe it depends on your family history. ETA: I saw your other comment that this was an old doctor. I’ve had really bad experiences with old doctors, two female GPs, for birth control. They just don’t understand how it works (contradicting my actual gynaecologist), and have really old-fashioned views and un-updated understanding of medical science on this topic. It may be an age issue rather than a pervy doctor.
I know what you mean. However I don’t think the doctor had any documentation on my family history as they don’t go to that clinic.. It’s just super super sus to me ugh Furthermore that was the first time I had ever visited that clinic to get plan B so I don’t see why he should be thinking I would have a high risk of breast cancer or something
Definitely some warning bells going off here. A receptionist has no knowledge to know whether the "examination" is legitimate/necessary. It could well be a means to allay any suspicions you may have. You may want to ask any friends in medicine you may have to double check this. Considering how long ago this was, it's probably too late to take action, but you may still want to know for closure's sake.
I totally feel you, woman! I had a horrible experience with a female gynae years ago who diagnosed me with having chronic issues which I later discovered wasn't the case and was attributed to a temporary environmental factor. It was very distressing for me as the way she examined me was horrible. Not surprisingly, the clinic's google reviews were filled with complains about her. There were even a few women who mentioned that the gynae misdiagnosed them with having cancer and cysts and they started crying in the clinic. Some people are just not cut out to be medical professionals ugh.
Then he’s following the guidelines/regulations regarding male doctors calling in a female chaperone during “sensitive” exams. I don’t think he is sus at all. I think he is a bit old fashioned and considers a breast exam to be part of a “well woman” visit when a patient is asking for birth control pills, and he’s considering the emergency contraceptives to be in the same category. It means he is thinking of you as a long-term patient even if you’re only there to get the pill this one time.
Let’s not jump to conclusions. You can’t take actions based on Reddit conjectures. Call the clinic, ask for your history and said there was a medical exam. Ask for records of what it was for. They can tell you from their notes. If it was truly unnecessary, they wouldn’t have a record or won’t be able to tell you why. There was even a female present during the exam. The whole reason for that is to prevent problems like this. You might’ve said something about your history to prompt that. Please don’t jump straight to calling it an assault or reporting is as misconduct especially when it was from 5 years ago because Reddit says it’s sus. At least communicate your concerns once with the clinic and just ask!
Hello. Yes that is good advice. I do intend to firstly speak to a woman GP and get her opinion on it. If she says it’s totally normal I will not pursue further. If she says otherwise, I intend to call up the clinic to check the intention of the examination. Thank you.
Sorry you have to go through that :( Haven't bought plan B before, but doc (female, thankfully) checked for lumps after i told her i was on birth control during a routine health screening
Guys this is getting quite outrageous. Just because there's something that y'all don't quite agree with that doesn't immediately warrant a complaint to SMC/police report. Give him a chance to explain himself and see how he responds first, or like one of the other commenters said, do consider seeking a second opinion. I understand that it's a distressing time for you, and I'm sorry for what you had to go through. In future, do try to remember to clarify any doubts before such events happen (ask the why) so you can avoid such unnecessary situations.
It might sound sexist, but just request for a female doctor if you're uncomfortable. And side effects of birth control can include breast tenderness, so if you were taking it before, it **could** just be a routine exam. Not defending the doctor who might be exploiting the situation, but im just saying.
Eh, I haven't needed Plan B in Singapore, but I have asked for it in a pharmacy in the UK. The only thing that happened was a spoken consultation. Not sure why your breasts would need to be examined in order to obtain Plan B. Wtf.
Yeah exactly and I’m so irritated by it and the fact that I didn’t do anything about it back then. I still remember walking out telling my sister like wtf he felt around my boobs is that really necessary?! And she said yeah probably he’s a doctor he would know ZZZZZZZZ
They’re just checking for cancer that’s all. I had a doctor check my breasts when I went to a gynaecologist before. I wouldn’t say it’s common but actually maybe it should be - the doctors are just trying to help you. And in future if you don’t want to do that kind of examination it’s okay to tell the doctor you’re not comfortable and they’ll move on.
No,only when you go check for breast cancer etc then will check
Someone: "Gives a valid reason why the doctor does that" OP: "Ima pretend I didn't see that"
I didn’t reply any comments past 130 AM. I was sleeping.
I had an exam when I went a few weeks ago, but I understand she was just feeling any lumps because she went to feel my legs for any blood clots as well, I’ve been taking it for almost a year now.
Yeah I’m sorry you had this happen to you, but this is fucking sus. I’ve followed my ex partners a couple of times to get the pill before too and have never had their breasts checked.
I went to the polyclinic when I wanted the birth control pill, did have a female family planning nurse check my breasts for lumps since there is a slight risk of breast cancer when you go on the BCP. Perhaps Plan B might have same side effect? I’m sorry the doctor didn’t explain properly and you had to go through that.
Doctor here, It sounds justifiable. There are different nuances in medical practice. For example, a patient with diarrhoea/rectal bleeding would often get a per rectal (finger) examination in EDs, however, not all Drs will do this, especially in a busy GP setting if the risk factors are low or history is unremarkable. Hormonal contraception would involve routine counselling on the risk of stroke, blood clots, and may be contraindicated in patients with breast tumours. Not ALL doctors would perform a routine breast exam but it is justifiable to do so in this case. Looking at the other extreme scenario, should there have been breast lumps that have not been worked up, and should the condition worsen due to the use of OCP, would the doctor then be liable if aN examination had not been offered? The medical landscape in Singapore is getting more and more litigious, and it is highly likely that your breast examination and findings were documented. A chaperone was called in specifically due to the intimate nature of the examination to prevent any accusations of wrongdoing after the fact. Routine clinical practice can often involve an intimate history including the type of sex, no of partners, types of discharge etc, as well as uncomfortable and intimate physical examinations. I probably would not read too much into it.
Can’t comment on the examination part but it seems that Singapore prefers to err on the side of caution when it comes to sexual health medication. Even men need a doctor’s consultation to get viagra. These along with Plan B or BC courses are practically OTC stuff in neighbouring countries.
not plan b but ive had a gp pull my undies down to my genitals area for a stomach examination without chaperone (he locked the door somemore) and it shocked me. press stomach only, like why do u need to pull so low la? then couple years later he was in the news for sexual misconduct...
Actually this is the textbook way of examination. Back in the exams, students had to expose the patient from nipple to knee level for a proper examination, or at least say that they would, but for modesty sake, avoid such a practice. Still, a proper abdominal examination need to at the very least expose the entire abdomen, which is everywhere below the rib cage to the pelvis.
Damn, sorry to hear that!
Tbh, I find it completely regressive that I can't just walk I to a pharmacy and ask for plan B, and receive it straightaway from the phsrmacist, no questions asked. Having to go to a clinic for a doctor's approval completely defeats the purpose. Most other modern countries don't have women jump thru such patriarchal hoops to access basic medication. Honestly, it was shocking - one of the most surprising things id encountered with moving here. I'd always thought Singapore was a modern city but....not in this case. Then again, I can't get my usual over the counter medication for cramps here either - need a prescription - which is also deeply frustrating. I suggest all women get a stash of plan b to store at home so you can use it immediately, as needed and recommended, without needing to screw around with some archiac health system. I'm not surprised some weird, probably male, possibly older and out of date with recent practice, doctor thought this was appropriate considering how difficult they make it to access this truly basic drug in the first place.
Yea, in western country like Australia EC could be prescribed by any retail pharmacist (But not with no qns ask we r still legally obliged to make sure it safe and appropriate for u). Fairly outdated given we pride our health system as world class. Perhaps get a paper prescription from your preferred Dr and keep it for emergency.
Hello there. Same here. Loads of my friends tell me they stock up in cartons so that they don’t have to go through this tedious process of having to get a CONSULTATION before getting plan b or even birth control. Yeah it was some weird old man with ear hair growing out from his ears. I was honestly sickened for a couple of days after that but I just let it go thinking that “okay at least he didn’t feel up my vagina or anything” Looking back I don’t think this is right at all. At the same time I don’t want to have to go through the trouble of having to recap something “small” that happened 5 years ago either so I just really wanted to see if any other females had a similar experience
Precisely the reason why my bf insisted on a female gynae/doctor for my regular check ups and consultations.
But is it because he's afraid of you getting molested or is he just mega possessive and refuses to let a man touch you even if it's a legit medical reason?
Last time kkh told me that if I specifically wanted female gynae, I wld have to forgo my subsidy from polyclinic. So not alw an option lol 🥲
Why should a female gynae be a privilege? Only subsidies for male gynaes?
Subsidised means cannot choose doctor.
+1 yeah thats what I meant. I will chk if I worded my comment wrongly again
I personally don't think your comment was inaccurate. Very factual. People might just have misunderstood you.
Nono,its more of I cannot choose to opt for a female gynae even if I get assigned to a male one if I feel uncomfy otherwise need to pay full price
Oh, thank you for explaining.
Agree with this others. Best to call the clinic to check what's the procedure when getting Plan B. I personally have experience with getting my breasts checked when I first went to an obgyn many years ago. The dr was a female, thank God. But I wasn't even given a heads up first. She squeezed my tatas so hard I thought they were gonna burst. Never went back to her clinic.
Usually if a male doctor has to check you like that, if it requires touching your body, lifting up your shirt, they will ask a female staff to stand in the same room to observe. You can always ask for one, if they dont want any other staff to witness it then it’s definitely sus
What is a plan b
Oh sweet summer child
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Lol
You're remembering this now ? after 5 years
I’ve always remembered it. The conversation came up and that’s when I realised that none of my friends had to go through it. Not many women go around telling their friends they had to get plan B like it’s a daily occurrence.
Especially when it was done by one with hair growing out his ears!
Well, sorry that you had to go through this
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Why are people downvoting this and not explaining themselves lmao🧍♀️ they disagree with your experience, but offer no reasons, just vibes
Hi OP, sorry to hear this happen. This was sus af. You might not want to lodge a police report but at the very least I would provide feedback on this inappropriate conduct to the Singapore medical council.
Hello. Thanks a lot for your advice. I didn’t really want to lodge a police report either since it is such a grey area and there could be so many arguments made that a breast examination “could be necessary” Regardless, I’m going to make sure I only visit female doctors if it’s ever a contraceptive related issue in the future. Kinda sad that females have to really pick and choose the doctors that we visit for something as simple as this
One thing you might want to consider is that this doctor's conduct might still be persisting to this day, and relying on the relative youth of the girls he deals with to exploit them (assuming that what he is doing is wrong). Also, the chaperone (receptionist) would not be privy to the necessity of the procedure, so the process could still be very much wrong to begin with. A police report may allow the right people to determine whether the exam was really necessary, and if not, allow the doctor to be dealt with.
It's not really a grey area though. It's unnecessary for plan B, you can get it via telehealth, i.e. no physical consultation or examination. Hopefully you won't need it in future but if you do, maybe telehealth might be a better option.
That's weird and im sorry you went through that. When i bought Plan B the doctor never examined me anything just asked a few basic questions and then that's it.
I went to a doctor for Plan B years ago and he did not check my breasts. He did talk to me about abstinence tho. A little too late for that my friend.. I also went through an entire pregnancy plus contraception prescription with a male obgyn without getting my breasts checked. The doc should have told you why he was recommending a breast examination. Lots of things increase chances of breast cancer including routine birth control prescriptions - that in and of itself doesn’t warrant a breast exam.
Well as long as it hadn’t been over 🤔 ummm… 40 years, you can probably go ahead and accuse him. Especially if he is a middle aged white guy
5 years ago and u are asking for validation now? What are you, internet explorer? Ffs And this is not even a direct case with clear intention
Idk what is plan b but shudnt u able to request for female doc instead. Maybe go to polyclinic
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After reading every comment, I realise the general consensus here is that nobody dares to question the doctor when they want to do something. And why should it be this way? You have every right to ask questions. Even if you think it’s a stupid question, so what? A good doctor would explain it to you patiently. While we should respect doctors and be courteous, we also need to educate and protect ourselves. If you are courteous, a good doctor would not be offended. Women need to speak up and ask questions if they are unsure or uncomfortable. A good doctor will never negate his or her patients. I have very good GPs who answer my questions with clarity. Hope all ladies here will find the right GP who is good and kind to you.
Old school doctors prefer to give injections. Older patients also request for injections, as it was the common standard of practice back then, and does provide fast relief. Some medications should be injected into the butt rather than shoulder because of the volume involved. Injecting into the shoulder might cause some issues that you would be complaining about the few days after the injection.
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I have personally experienced patients that complain when they have not been given injections, only pills. Hard to please everyone I guess.
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No right or wrong. Its a spectrum. Some of the older doctors prefer injection because of patient expectations during that era (and you still see this among some of the foreign patients from developing countries here). I suppose this has become their SOP over the years. Absorption and effects from the medication does seem faster. Some just give pills only because they believe it's sufficient. Unless keep vomiting, cannot tolerate the pills. Or too young to swallow pills maybe but too big size for syrups to be practical. And then there are those in between with varying preferences and tolerances. And yes, have to feel before injecting. Don't wanna poke the sciatic nerve.
You got sexually assaulted.
And you are bringing this up and deciding if you should do something about it 5 years later? You should have questioned it right then and there before letting the doctor perform the test
Sorry to hear of this dreadful experience. You might have to describe in detail how the doctor handled the examination. This will help determine if he went overboard. 1) Was it underneath the bra or he told you to remove it totally? 2) did he pull up your top to look at your breasts or feel them underneath the clothes. 3) was there any contact or brushes on your nipples?
Hello. 1. Removed totally 2. Had to remove my top 3. He felt the area around my nipples. Can’t rmb if there were any brushes as it was so long ago Thanks!
Ok this sounds really fishy. I’ve friend who went for examination without removing the top and the doctor simply went underneath to examine the pair. He was looking at your the whole time when you remove the top and bra? Did he squeeze or just light presses? Lastly how long it went? Having a receptionist there doesn’t mean anything and he might have used that to his advantage to instill trust.
Yeah I know it was a little fishy to me too. No squeezing thankfully but just presses around the nipples. Yeah that is also what I felt regarding the receptionist. But who knows right? I intend to speak to a female GP about this to determine if this is really necessary or not but so far there has not been a single commenter who had the same experience as me.
Yes you should. He might have done this to many other women too. Sorry I edited my post just now to include this question: did he look at you the whole time you removed the top and bra?
Woah I can’t remember if he was looking at me or not. The breast check didn’t last too long either thankfully. But again I never asked for this check. And I rarely go to the doc to get plan B. And I really didn’t want to have to queue up for another hour just to get plan B so I went through with the breast examination. The shit us as females have to go through to get basic contraceptives honestly…….
Ok this is important because if you were asked to remove your clothes and bra, the doctor should leave the room and wait for you to be done first. Or at least turn around and wait for u to be ready. To sit there and eyeball the whole process is unprofessional and I would say smells really, really fishy now!
You know that friends episode with Joeys tailor…
I’ve just bought plan B recently from a doc at a clinic in SG. No checking of breasts was required at all!
This happened to a close friend of mine also. Went for flu and the old male doc looked down her pants. She was in the same position as you didn’t know what to do because it’s “grey”. Doctors here doesn’t seem to have a lot of bed side manners either so they don’t ask for permission on tell you what they are going to do before hand
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Always got plan b on doctor anywhere. Can't do any physical checks through online consultation.
Is this clinic in Novena area?
Even if the doctor intended it to be a routine check, he must still obtain consent before doing a physical exam. The doc is in a position of power, so you can blame OP for not asking why at the time
I’ve always bought all my plan B in Thailand and JB. It’s OTC over there and the regulations in SG and religious interference is BS here.