Sarah Silverman opens up about 'uncomfortable' mammogram in candid post
Comedian, Sarah Silverman, has slammed an "arrogant" doctor who touched her without gloves during a mammogram and ultrasound appointment held on Wednesday.
The 48-year-old took to Instagram to describe what occurred during the routine checkup, and vowed to never schedule another mammogram with the male radiologist, "or any dude" for that matter. Sarah began bye explaining that she was getting an ultrasound after a mammogram as she has "dense breasts", and that she had the same doctor she had last year.
"He opened my gown and put gel on my breasts and smeared it around with his bare hands. Then he started talking to me about my chest X-ray (I also got a chest X-Ray) and was pontificating with my boobs just out and covered in gel and cold," Silverman said.
She proceeded to inform the radiologist - whose identity she's kept anonymous - that she was uncomfortable with the situation, and asked if they could discuss the matter of her chest X-ray at a later date.
"I’m not comfortable with my breasts out just shooting the sh*t with you," she reportedly told the doctor.
"Okay so — he smears the gel on with his hands and NO GLOVES on and when he glides the ultrasound wand thing over my breasts he drags his fingers on them and it f---ing bothers me. Again, AS I TOLD HIM LAST YEAR, I said ‘Hey! Do you need to be touching me with your fingers?’ He said ‘No’. And he pulled them off of me," Silverman further clarified
"Then he added ‘I do that for balance.’ I said ‘Well, I believe in you and I think you can do with without your fingers on me.
Look, I truly don’t think he was getting off on it, BUT it is his job to be aware that this is vulnerable for a woman. Wear f*cking GLOVES - this isn’t a date,” she continued. “For him to be so arrogant that he didn’t even internalize the problem when I said something to him about it last year is obnoxious and probably a subconscious power thing if we’re getting deep."
Silverman said she was "fine" after the incident, but stressed that such things aren't to be tolerated. "Look. I’m a grown woman and I’m fine. But this guy does this with everyone and I know that personally it took many years into adulthood before I spoke up for myself."
"It’s uncomfortable and too easy to think it’s all in your head. And arrogant fucks like this doctor take advantage of women’s socialized instinct to not speak up. All this to say speak up. Trust that thing in your gut that tells you this sh*t ain’t right."
Good on you, Sarah, for speaking out about something which - sadly - many women have gone through.