Too much estrogen! Women! Ahh!

Based on what you originally posted, I must say she is emotionally unstable, immature and can't take a joke. That drama queen is not worth apologizing to because you did nothing wrong. I can't believe anyone would side with her and say you are insensitive!

I can tell you from decades of experience as a women, a military nurse supervisor and later as a physician, that if she does not grow up fast, she will not make it in medicine. Don't even worry about her hurt feelings at this point. If you make further apologies, bow, scrape, tell her she is beautiful, etc. You will contributing to her bad behavior. SO DON'T DO THAT!!!

That being said, be careful with using the term "too much estrogen". It can be offensive because it is used to propagate negative stereotypes about women such as:

• They are overly emotional.
• Their behavior is controlled by their menstrual cycle.
• They can't judge objectively and thus can't be leaders.
• Procreation is what drives them.

The above stereotypes made it harder for me and other women to be respected as physicians and military officers years ago. So as medical professionals and citizens of our society we should avoid using this term. Likewise we should never make an off-the-cuff comment about a man, or men having "too much testosterone" because it is equally offensive. Obviously it is based on negative stereotypes as well such as:

• They are oversexed predators.
• They are all aggressive and violent.
• They categorically lack communications skills.
• They aren't emotionally "in-tuned" or compassionate.

These "testosterone" stereotypes can make it harder for male health care providers (especially male nurses) to be viewed without suspicion by their female colleagues. I imagine you guys must feel like I did when I was frequently the only women in my medically classes. Back then I had male doctors/professors who hated me for entering in their male dominated profession. The difference is that back then they would make blunt comments to my face without fear of retribution. At least I knew where they stood.

When I did the old med school rounds to see male patients needing intimate examinations and/or treatments, my instructors would typically ask, "do you mind her working on you". It was not about patient confront, it was a ploy used to coax the male patient in to asking me to leave the the room. Yet from what I know, they never asked a male patient this question when a female nurse was in-training, only us female doctors.

So guys don't give up, positive change is happening much faster for you then it did for me

If you can't laugh at yourself, then what can you laugh at? Of course I would have been embarrased but I would have gotten even (in a fun way of course)