In what countries are women/girls normally stethed bare chested?

The concern for modesty in female chest exams varies in different parts of the world and may also vary according to the gender of the examiner. Of course, in play exams I have the woman bare chested, and I don't know how any doctor gets a good listen at the mitral valve without exposing the left breast. I know there are people from many different countries on this site. What is the normal practice where you are? Are the breasts more likely to be exposed for heart listening with a female doctor/examiner? I remember a 22 year old I examined some years ago--it was the first time she had been stethed bare chested since she was a child before her breasts developed, and she said that I was actually the first man to see her breasts.

When I was steth'd as a teen, I found being topless in conflict with the rules of keeping my bra on at all times. Now because I have grown a bit more in the breast department I am topless all the time.

At work I would find it unusual if a female was not topless.

Interesting question, I've wondered about it myself.

I have witnessed cardiac auscultations on female patients (girlfriends) in two countries - the UK and Greece.

Gowns are not provided in either country, and bras are removed in both - at least when cardiac auscultation is an important part of the exam. I've seen a couple of cases where female patients were auscultated after simply lifting their top without removing their bras, but the doctor just wanted a quick listen to the lung sounds in those cases. Other than that, if the complaint was palpitations or shortness of breath or if the patient was receiving a cardiac evaluation, the bra was always removed. I also know of a case (I didn't witness this one, but the patient told me all about it afterwards) where the female patient was auscultated topless for a long time, in several positions, and then when she was laying supine the doctor lifted her skirt and had a long listen to her phemoral artery on the inside of her thigh.

In a recent discussion with a female doctor who is a friend, I remember her saying that undressing the patient is absolutely essential for a proper exam. She explains this to her patients before she starts and if anybody objects, which is rare, she relates to them what a professor of hers had said when she was a student: "I'm a doctor; if you want to be examined with your clothes on, go to a tailor!"

I look forward to hearing the experiences / knowledge of other members on this topic.

Regards

MWS

At most of the exams i've had, the doctor just had me lift my top for the auscultation. Only on few occasions i was told to strip to the waist. I was never offered a gown.

I can't be absolutely sure but i don't think that any doctor in my country gives a gown to their patients.

By "my country" i mean an european country.

Talked with a girl in The Netherlands on Heartbeat Pleasure. She said that she has always been stethed bare chested whether the doctor was male or female. Seems to be no big deal there, when the doctor puts the steth in his ears, the shirt and bra come off.

I dont think it depends on the country but on the reason for the stetho exam and if the bra is covering points the doc needs to listen to. I have been stethed with bra and also without bra.

@Man_With_Stethoscope

"I'm a doctor; if you want to be examined with your clothes on, go to a tailor!"

Priceless!!

I'm from Ukraine. My doctor (male) always asks me to strip to the waist to listen to my heart and lungs. Other doctors also usually ask me to take off my top, including a bra for examination. Only a couple of times they didn't ask me to undress and did auscultation from the back through my clothes.

Since I was a child I’ve kept my clothes on. Doctors have put the stethoscope just inside my bra but I’ve never been asked to remove it by a doctor.

Usually I have my clothes on including the bra for auscultation. However, when I had a pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital, Dr listened very carefully with bare chest at aged of 20 or so. I wasn't wearing a bra during that hospital stay.

Looks like great going in Europe at least, Unfortunately here in India, it's more Conservative. Never heard or seen a doctor asking ladies to undress. Mostly examination is over multiple layers of clothing. I, being a play doctor, wonder how it works. Maybe if it is a part of gynecological visit, an examination followed after a breast examination. Maybe in such cases the patients may be bare chested. Otherwise mostly no.

I live in the UK, and can probably count on the fingers of one hand when I have kept my bra on, normally it is done with me topless.

It will vary doctor to doctor, but listening over clothing is definitely discouraged as it degrades the quality of the sound that can be heard and can lead to some more subtle sounds that can reveal an issue being missed. Some doctors may require top and bra removed others may just ask for your top removed and work around your bra.

Depends what you mean by 'stethed.' Lung sounds or heart sounds?

In any case, the stethoscope should be directly against the skin, whether that means removal of upper garments, or sliding the stethoscope inside the shirt/blouse. When assessing lung sounds, you listen to one location in the right side, then the comparable location on the left side. Going back and forth ten times with a shirt on can be difficult. But the bra can stay on for lung assessment. It may be necessary to lift the breasts to auscultate some fields, but there's no need to listen on the breast itself.

Heart sounds are different. Some of them are directly over the left breast.

It's also important to keep in mind that clothing rubbing over the stethoscope can make it difficult to assess lung/heart sounds.

The best way to find out is to ask women from different countries. If they’re required to remove their bra, then what is the gender of the doctor or nurse doing the exam, and what are the cultural norms? Same thing applies to other medical procedures, including rectal temperature, or vaginal exams.

@Kristin92, I would love to listen to your bare chest . . . .

My dr had me take off my bra and shirt a few weeks ago, and put on a grown. Then he listened to my bare chest. USA

And, I bet I am not alone here on Zity!

When I worked at the hospital I would listen to girls over their clothing. But I have extremely good hearing. If I thought I heard something unusual I would put the bell under her top. If I still was hearing something then I would ask her to remove her top.

When I worked at the hospital I would listen to girls over their clothing. But I have extremely good hearing. If I thought I heard something unusual I would put the bell under her top. If I still was hearing something then I would ask her to remove her top.

It's not about how good your hearing is. It's about the clothing rubbing against the skin or against the stethoscope head, causing artifact noise. Granted, it may not be too bad over a single t-shirt, but beyond that, you risk obscuring subtle findings by listening over clothing. You don't hear what you don't hear. That said, you may assess lung sounds just because it's required and you're convinced you won't hear anything. Or the converse, you can hear them wheezing or bubbling away without a scope.

It's about the clothing rubbing against the skin or against the stethoscope head, causing artifact noise.

I’ve never heard of clothing rubbing when a patient is sitting still, just breathing. When I listen over a t shirt, I hear great with zero artifact.

@Kristin92

I’ve never heard of clothing rubbing when a patient is sitting still, just breathing. When I listen over a t shirt, I hear great with zero artifact.

As I said, "it may not be too bad over a single t-shirt." Of course clothing can move as the person breathes, especially if they're wearing more than one layer of clothing. Again, if you're just listening because you need to check a box, no problem. If you're really doing a good assessment and need to be able to pick up subtle sounds, scope against skin is the best way.

This is in line with what @Dr. Carrie wrote: "listening over clothing is definitely discouraged as it degrades the quality of the sound that can be heard and can lead to some more subtle sounds that can reveal an issue being missed."

We each have our own standards.

Here in Switzerland, always when I accompanied my ladies to her doc - independent of gyn or family doc - she/he listend to their hearts topless with bra on. Except one time as we were at a cardiologist, she had to pull off her bra, too to get a proper listen to all auscultation spots of her heart.

I was NEVER auscultated in clothes, always bare chested. I think, this is the default practice, in here.

@Koan

We each have our own standards.

So yes, we each have our own standards. Mine are high.

@Koan So yes, we each have our own standards. Mine are high.

If you call that high, then they're high...by your standards lol.

@Steinlaus:

Here in Switzerland, always when I accompanied my ladies to her doc - independent of gyn or family doc - she/he listend to their hearts topless with bra on. Except one time as we were at a cardiologist, she had to pull off her bra, too to get a proper listen to all auscultation spots of her heart.

I was NEVER auscultated in clothes, always bare chested. I think, this is the default practice, in here.

That's not just the practice in Switzerland, it's the standard of care in the USA as well, at least amongst those who truly care about their patients and being thorough, picking up on subtleties which would be obscured by clothing. Unfortunately, in every field there are those who cut corners, either out of laziness, or incompetence.