Comic urges women to speak up

Sarah Silverman has spoken out against the medic who conducted her mammogram, saying her made her feel violated by his actions.

The comic said she was uncomfortable and vulnerable when the radiologist rubbed gel on her breasts without wearing gloves, and again when he touched her during an ultrasound.

Silverman, 48,  did not accuse the radiologist of doing anything sexual – but said he should have been aware of how uneasy his conduct was making her feel and suggest his conduct could have been ‘a subconscious power thing’… especially as she had formerly warned him about his conduct.

She added that she would never use a male radiologist again 

Writing on Instagram, she said she had a ‘shitty time’ at the appointment with the same radiologist who saw her last year, and explained why:

‘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…. and was pontificating with my boobs just out and covered in gel and cold and finally I said "Hey -can we either talk about this when I’m dressed or WHILE you’re doing the ultrasound? I’m not comfortable with my breasts out just shooting the shit with you."

‘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 fucking 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. 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 fucking GLOVES - this isn’t a date. 

‘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.

‘That was my last mammogram with this dude. Or any dude.

‘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 shit ain’t right.’

Silverman also explained that she needed ultrasound after her mammograms because she has dense breasts, adding: ‘Insert joke here.’

Published: 7 Feb 2019