A doctor who changed my practice: Putting women in control

doi:10.1136/bmj.321.7274.1454/c

BMJ 2000;321:1454 ( 9 December )

Filler

A doctor who changed my practice

Putting women in control

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

As a research registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology I was moonlighting and gaining extra experience doing family planningand youth clinics. Unlike most of my previous training I was expectedto sit in and then be observed by a senior doctor. It was my greatfortune to work with Fay Hutchinson, the medical director of theBrook Advisory Service, because she completely changed my approachtopatients.

Many of the women coming for contraception, pregnancy testing, and abortion advice were young and had never had vaginal examinationsor smears. They would be prepared on the couch as usual and thenthey were given a speculum and asked to "put that inside, please."As if it was the most natural thing in the world that a doctorwould ask a woman to insert a speculum! And most did so with nofuss. I was so shocked. I was shocked by the . . . [Full text of this article]