why do they open your pants during physicals?

[synapse]

what is the point of the dr. grabbing onto the waste part of your pants, pulling it, and looking down into your pants. what are they trying to look for? are they checking to see if you shave down their or what? just wondering.

nothing sexual, just curious what the purpose is

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[bizcuit241]

"waste"?

 

[sacrament]

I'm remembering that episode of Friends where one of the guys has a tailor who fiddles with his crotch while fitting him for a suit, and the guy is like, "What, doesn't your tailor do that?"

 

[bizcuit241]

And Joey would laugh everytime Ross would say nomad.

 

[synapse]

i meant waist.
so nobody knows??!?!?!?! aren't you all doctors?

 

[rpkall]

I'll bite.

I bet people probably think you're bullsh*tting, since your question is kinda random, that's all.

I'm not a Dr., but took a physical diagnosis class once, and am headed off to med school in the fall...

A lot of physicians/PAs/NPs (people who examine patients in a primary care setting) have their own style. It's possible that your doc is checking to determine the contour of your lower abdomen, or the quality/texture of the overlying skin--without having you get more fully undressed.

That said, a hundred other things influence a particular practitioner's behavior. For example: maybe he/she had a patient once who had a golf-ball sized ulcerating tumor hanging out down there, and he/she missed it because the patient was too embarassed to show him/her. So now there's a lot of peeking down there to make sure it never happens again. Who knows? Could be a lot of things.

Good luck with that, anyway.

PS: If the waist-pant-peeper makes you uncomfortable, just ask to have someone else (medical assistant, RN) be present in the exam room during the examination. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[doc05]

sometimes the doc will have you loosen your pants in order to do a proper abdominal exam -- which would include palpating the lower abdomen. "Peeking" down there doesn't make much sense though.

 

[FMbound]

OMG. You "peek" so that you can inspect hair distribution and to verify the sex of a patient. It's kind of stupid though. I've mostly seen Peds or Med/Peds residents do this.

I personally have the patient undress and warn them that I need to look at their nether-regions to look for abnormalities. I would also have them stand and cough so that I don't miss a big ole bulging hernia.

Modesty is not good for the patient nor the doctor.

 

[Ergo]

When I was on surgery my faculty called me in and told me he wanted me to see something this extreme once in my career, and them when we entered the room, I saw a guy with a hernia descending into his right scrotum that made it as big as a baby's head. Thought you'd want to know that.

 

[FMbound]

When I was on surgery my faculty called me in and told me he wanted me to see something this extreme once in my career, and them when we entered the room, I saw a guy with a hernia descending into his right scrotum that made it as big as a baby's head. Thought you'd want to know that.

Thank you. Could you imagine missing "that" by peeking only?

 

[NuMD97]

A wise physician will have a nurse present for the physical exam, especially if the physician is male. Some women doctors have someone else present as well. It's self-protective.

About the opening of the pants question: most physicians would ask the patient to undo the button(s) him/herself, and explain that it is for the purpose of examining the abdomen. It's as simple as that. You cannot do a proper exam without undoing the pants.

Any part of the physical exam should be explained to the patient beforehand and then tell the patient what they encountered. It fosters better physician/patient communication and trust.

Hope this is of some help.

 

[sacrament]

Undoing the patient's pants--or asking them to undo their pants--and performing a physical examination is being a thorough professional. Sort of tugging on their waistband and peering on down is being a pervert. If you're gonna do, then do it.

 

[JudoKing01]

Speaking of massive inguinal hernias, I walked into an OR room once to do a hernia repair on a patient I hadn't met, and when I walked in he was already asleep and shaved. I looked at his groin and said "Isn't this a male patient?"

Two seconds after I said that I realized that what I thought was his leg was really his distended scrotum from the giant hernia bulging through. You couldn't see his penis or his other testicle...it was sick. Easily reducable though.

 

[cali7925]

to give the patient a wedgie

 

[synapse]

sorry. i didn't mean "pants".... i meant "panties"

 

[Katee80]

sorry. i didn't mean "pants".... i meant "panties"

Ok...girl or guy?


Not trying to be a pain.....just wondering what type of an exam was taking place during the "incident". Could be checking for a scar from past surgery in case you forgot to tell him. Some scars are pretty low.


Katee

 

[synapse]

i'm female. i had a physical and i had to wear a paper gown but with my undergarments on. the female doc checked my abdomen and then she just kinda pulled outward my undies just to peek. some docs have you remove them so they can take a look, which is what my pediatrician did back in the days. but i don't understand why she would just pull it open?

 

[Katee80]

i'm female. i had a physical and i had to wear a paper gown but with my undergarments on. the female doc checked my abdomen and then she just kinda pulled outward my undies just to peek. some docs have you remove them so they can take a look, which is what my pediatrician did back in the days. but i don't understand why she would just pull it open?

Were you expecting a pap? I'm willing to bet she was only doing a quick double check for any surgical scarring. Did you ask her? Did she say what she was doing?


And why is it bothering you so much?



Katee

 

[Portier]

i'm female. i had a physical and i had to wear a paper gown but with my undergarments on. the female doc checked my abdomen and then she just kinda pulled outward my undies just to peek. some docs have you remove them so they can take a look, which is what my pediatrician did back in the days. but i don't understand why she would just pull it open?

I had a similiar experience once (I'm male and my FP was male).

I'd seen him since I was quite a small child. I was about 13 or 14 I guess, and was getting a physical for soccer. He did the standard tests, and checked my abdomen and everything....then he lifted my jeans and underwear in one slick movement and "peeked" at my genital area. At the time it seemed strange, but I just figured he was doing his job.

The true answer is listed above. The HCP needs to check to see if you are progressing normally...growing a fat pad over your symphysis pubis, proper distribution of pubic hair, lack of genital abnormality (self mutilation, etc.).

A lack of pubic hair could mean a number of things, and is a great tip off. It's also a backdoor into (at least for females) their sexual maturity stage. What I mean is, if I see a young lady of 15 with a very neatly shaven pubic area I might try to broach the "bcp/sex" conversation a bit more readily whereas an "untended" youth who is wearing a care bear T-shirt might require a bit more circuitous path towards a sexual history.

I still have to see how I want to practice, but judging my personal methods on most other things, I guess I'd be more direct. I'll probably do as suggested above and say, "Please put on this gown, but keep on your bra and panties. However, during the exam I'll bring a standby in and need to see your breasts and genitals to ensure proper development and lack of hormonal problems. Do you have any questions about that?"

Of course, if you only have 15 mins, and you're that confident, maybe the "peek" is more time saving.

 

[v-tach]

A wise physician will have a nurse present for the physical exam, especially if the physician is male. Some women doctors have someone else present as well. It's self-protective.

About the opening of the pants question: most physicians would ask the patient to undo the button(s) him/herself, and explain that it is for the purpose of examining the abdomen. It's as simple as that. You cannot do a proper exam without undoing the pants.

Any part of the physical exam should be explained to the patient beforehand and then tell the patient what they encountered. It fosters better physician/patient communication and trust.

Hope this is of some help.

Well said. And patients are often more comfortable with a physician of the same sex, for exactly these kinds of reasons.

 

[Pyroclast]

I'm remembering that episode of Friends where one of the guys has a tailor who fiddles with his crotch while fitting him for a suit, and the guy is like, "What, doesn't your tailor do that?"

Yes, yes, it's normal for doctors to do that...in prison!