Va-Gin-A

You all read the post from my friend who is in the Commissioning process of the United Methodist Church. Well, today she called me with a question---"Did you have to get this physical form filled out when you were in the process?" Of course, I did.

Let explain what women candidates have to have done in the Texas AC. They are required to have a mammogram, even if they are not old enough for the medical community to recommend that particular test. So they are exposed to radiation in a totally unnecessary medical test, which I might add, that the conference does not pay for 100%.

Then another question for our doctors to answer has to do with "Abnormalities of the Genitalia". She wanted to know why they wanted to know about her vagina. Men are not required to have many of these intrusive tests until they reach the age of 50, but women have to, regardless of their age.

The question was "will I be delayed if I refuse to have unnecessary tests performed?" Probably....

"Is it even legal to ask anyone to go through these kinds of test?" The real question is this, if there is something wrong is that a reason to not ordain these folks. Another question, who gets to look at these test results? We have to make four copies of everything and send them into the conference, where they are distributed to various board members, most if not all, do not have medical training.

I know that the mammogram is an extra test that many of the other conferences do not require. It seems sexist and an unfair burden placed upon women candidates. But hey, I'm sure that there is some deep theological argument for these tests......................