Could rectal temperatures be considered “Medical Trauma”?

Medical trauma has been defined as emotional and physical responses to pain, injury, serious illness, medical procedures and frightening treatment experiences. There are lots of different experiences related to illness, injury or medical treatment that can be difficult, uncomfortable or frightening.

I’m currently doing some personal research and would like to ask if anyone else feels they were traumatized during childhood by being forced to have their temperature taken rectally. Personally, I believe those experiences caused immense traumas that altered my psychosexual development during adolescence. As we know, rectal temperatures were once commonplace both at home and at family doctor’s offices across the land. During the early 1980’s my pediatrician’s office policy was to take rectal temperatures from all patients under 13, which I found rather demeaning since my mom had already switched us to oral temperatures at home when we were around 5 or 6. Despite my pleadings for oral temperatures at the doctor’s office, my mom (and the nurses) were unsympathetic and remained emphatic about taking it rectally. My mom’s stance was “do as you’re told and stop embarrassing me” and the nurse’s was an apologetic “I’m sorry dear, but the doctor makes the rules here and we have to follow them”. I’m still somewhat baffled by how they never once considered the potentially harmful emotional or psychological effects of forcing this procedure on a young child. Naturally, I’ve always assumed it was obvious to most educated medical professionals that inserting a lubricated object into a child’s rectum (usually against his will) just might have some potential negative consequences regardless of its purpose or intention. Under any other circumstance this act would undeniably be considered sexual abuse yet this routine and widespread practice carried on for decades with little discretion or concern for the child’s emotional wellbeing.

I’m not suggesting that everyone who had their temperatures taken with a rectal thermometer had subsequently developed psychological problems nor am I saying that rectal temperatures were intentionally abusive but I do wonder if they should have been used far more sparingly, and only when absolutely necessary. For example, I believe that my pediatrician should have used better judgement by phasing out rectal temperatures on his patients over the age of 6 or 7 instead of arbitrarily applying it to the very wide age group of birth to 13. I realize that medical standards were once very different but even back then some pediatric offices were prudent enough to only take the rectal temperatures of infants, toddlers and occasionally a pre-schooler with a fever. My elementary and middle school nurses were safely using oral thermometers on children as young as 5 or 6 so I never understood why it should be any different at our family doctor’s office. It’s probably safe to assume it was strictly a liability issue (injury from biting glass thermometers) which gave some doctors anxiety and had little to do with the trusty, reliable “gold standard” accuracy of the rectal method.

Over time I came to dread doctor visits not for the blood tests or vaccinations, but for the mandatory rectal temperatures taken during every visit. That dread only grew more intense throughout my middle school years when my temperature continued being taken rectally well into my 8th grade year. Although I was told rectal temperatures were taken “for my own good” I always knew they were excessive and unnecessary which made them all the more distressing. I’ll give you an example. In 7th or 8th grade my mom took me to the doctor because I was excessively biting the fingernail and surrounding skin on my right thumb which had caused some swelling. My temperature was taken rectally and we left with a prescription for a topical steroid cream which almost completely healed it overnight. The next day we went back for a follow-up and when the nurse instructed me to undress I told her the doctor just wanted see my thumb. She knew that but said I still had to undress because she had to take my temperature. Rectal temperatures were too often just frivolously taken when they truly weren’t necessary. Were they really expecting me to be running a fever due to some nail biting and was it necessary to humiliate me two days in a row for no good reason? It’s obvious to me that rectal temperatures (especially for middle school kids) only remained the status quo for so many years because insensitive doctors never bothered to question their actual necessity.

Currently, it seems that rectal temperatures have fallen out of favor and are only reserved for children under 4… and this is likely because we now have a greater awareness, sensitivity and respect for children’s body privacy and even for their consent. We’ve also gained a better understanding of the potential trauma and emotional harm that certainly results when a child’s body privacy is violated. Undoubtedly, the vast majority of adults who had their temperatures taken rectally as children were not negatively affected by those experiences. Perhaps they disliked it in the moment but it had no profound effect on them emotionally or psychologically. As for the rest of us, we have obviously been greatly effected but my question is was I negatively or positively effected? In other words is this fetish good or bad? For me it’s both and I’m wondering if some of you might agree.

It's not "violating privacy" that hurts people. It's telling them, later on, that what happened to them should bother them and they need to feel traumatized about it. These are the people we should be demonizing. Not the ones who touch or speak or think in a forbidden way, but the ones making previously innocent actions an outrage. No longer something where you just go 'wait I don't want that' and the other person goes 'okay' and stops, but something where even IMAGINING it makes you a monster.

They sure precisely can be traumatizing to a child if done improperly

It's not "violating privacy" that hurts people. It's telling them, later on, that what happened to them should bother them and they need to feel traumatized about it. These are the people we should be demonizing. Not the ones who touch or speak or think in a forbidden way, but the ones making previously innocent actions an outrage.

Interesting take. I know to some extent, rectal temperatures were humiliating to me in older years due to the fact it was “childish” and considered babyish. It was a very humiliating procedure, but as someone who has had lower back trauma (real physical trauma) and has had a lot of invasive procedures done, there is a marked difference between a finger trying to find out if my coccyx is dislocated and a thermometer as a child. Around 8 or 9 I started to get anxiety over the thermometer, and a lot of it was the fact that privacy was not a guarantee. I had been walked in on, and had doors left partially or completely open before, and the whole time the thermometer was stuck up my butt, if the door was actually closed, I would nervously wonder if someone would barge in. It was almost less stressful when it was left open. I also was developing, and started getting erections which would be on full display at some point. This made me feel dirty, as I felt it was an inappropriate response.

One of my last experiences with the rectal thermometer was actually a repressed memory for a long time. If you read my really old posts you’ll see that I said I had my temp taken up until age 7. This actually was a self-induced reprogramming of my mind that I did after a very traumatic experience I had at age 12. I rehearsed over and over in my mind an alternate experience where my temp was taken orally, and nothing embarrassing happened, and I had been getting it taken orally for years. The reason I did this was I had a major crush on a girl and I didn’t want my experience accidentally slipping out in conversation. In reality, though, my temp was taken rectally as it had always been up until then, and I even remember now even this wasn’t actually the last time I got it, because I had another visit to the doctor at 13 where I got it taken rectally. But at this particular visit, the doctor barged in about half way through and left the door partially open after excusing himself. I also had a raging erection which everyone saw when I wrestled my underwear up and even after because my underwear didn’t completely cover it. I was mad at the doctor so I plotted a revenge of going to the bathroom to wipe up the goop that was always left in my butt, and staying a long time to keep him waiting. That would show them it was stupid to take my temp rectally! 12 year old logic. I didn’t think things through very well, though, because when I got my underwear back up and asked to go the bathroom to wipe myself, the nurse handed me a box of kleenex and said to use those instead. I froze because I didn’t know what to do.. the door was still ajar, and there was no way I wanted to wipe my butt in front of the nurse and my mom. Before I knew what was happening, my mom had grabbed the box of kleenex and had my underwear down and had me over her knee wiping me. It was horribly humiliating, and an experience I wanted to forget and hoped everyone else would forget.

I don't blame my mom or the nurse, they were both trying to be helpful. It was just a very embarrassing and traumatic experience. Had this all happened at home, I don’t think it would’ve been that bad. Also, there are a lot of circumstances in my life that played up the humiliation. I personally don’t consider any of it abusive or intentionally degrading, just a bad chain of events. I do, however, think it was insensitive to leave the door open. The time and effort required to click the door shut takes literally one or two seconds longer than haphazardly flinging the door, which was what was done to make it stay open.

There's no objective standard for "violating privacy," "humilation," etc. These are social constructs. I agree with the comment that it becomes a “violation” when we're later told we should feel violated, and then suddenly do. It should be about what's the best way to get a temperature reading, period. Not an expert, but have read that rectal temperature can be much more accurate than other modes.

I can imagine that lots of components can be part of the development of a trauma or not. In some cases only one situation can be enough for being traumatised afterwards.

When I was a child, I asked myself why my older brother was fighting back and discussing every time when his temp had to be checked or a suppository had to be given. We both grew up with RT and suppos. From my side, it felt normal for me, so I was relaxed and compliant, the whole opposite of my bro. He never got abused, our parents never slapped us. I can imagine maybe 2 possible explanations:

It could be so different and complex to explain for every person who felt abused while receiving RT, that I believe that you only can explain individually.

I don’t think it was the actual rectal temperature component as it was any kind of procedure or exam where you were completely exposed in front of your mother, a nurse, a doctor, and potentially others. When I switched pediatricians at around 11 the new one did temps orally but every year I had an examination by the female pediatrician in front of my step mother and it was embarrassing but I don’t feel traumatized but I could see how someone else might be. I also remember there wasn’t a big emphasis on privacy back then. Whether in the pediatricians office, a specialist, or the hospital I do recall doors being ajar or curtains not being closed all the way or just being exposed far longer than I should’ve been and wondering who else may have looked in passing by. When I had a scalp laceration following a car accident I was bleeding badly from my head but otherwise I felt fine but because there was so much blood and a possible “head injury” they immediately cut all my clothes off upon arrival to the ER and I had already been back boarded so it was hard to tell how many people were coming and going but different people were setting up different things and I could hear the police woman and other staff fairly close but it was hard to tell if people could see in the trauma room I’m guessing they probably could. I remember asking for a gown and a nurse said the doctor will be right in but we have to clean up the blood and do full exam so bear with us. This was in 1985 and i feel like that was the most traumatizing because I felt on the verge of a full erection several times but I feel in general privacy wasnt a priority then and sometimes now it isn’t either.

Any medical procedure that's embarrassing or painful can cause a person to be reluctant to repeat the experience. I know many adults who hate to go to the doctor, or dentist, probably because of a childhood experience. How you were treated by the staff and doctor, could also make a difference. I can't imagine being a teen, or college student, and being placed in the pediatric ward, and subjected to rectal temps., when it was entirely avoidable. I don't understand also why a nurse wouldn't accomodate an older teen, or young adult, in that situation. The term “trauma” is also frequently used today, and I think that the mental health profession creates more problems than it solves, with these labels, and bandaids. I was nearly murdered. That's trauma. Does having a lubed thermometer slid up your ass, because your overly cautious mom, was taught that it was most reliable, fit the definition of trauma ?

I would say yes because trauma has a very broad spectrum and doesn't mean just one thing. In another words there's many different levels of trauma.

Any medical procedure that's embarrassing or painful can cause a person to be reluctant to repeat the experience. I know many adults who hate to go to the doctor, or dentist, probably because of a childhood experience. How you were treated by the staff and doctor, could also make a difference. I can't imagine being a teen, or college student, and being placed in the pediatric ward, and subjected to rectal temps., when it was entirely avoidable. I don't understand also why a nurse wouldn't accomodate an older teen, or young adult, in that situation. The term “trauma” is also frequently used today, and I think that the mental health profession creates more problems than it solves, with these labels, and bandaids. I was nearly murdered. That's trauma. Does having a lubed thermometer slid up your ass, because your overly cautious mom, was taught that it was most reliable, fit the definition of trauma ?

How do you feel now about rectal temperatures? I ask because of your moniker and avatar.

I had rabies shots at a young age. Very painful given in the stomach as they were. Luckily that ordeal has changed.

As for rectal temperatures I believe if the technology we have today were available many years ago, that with very few exceptions the rectal temperature would be gone.

It is not gone, and as medically indicated, is still used. The devices( thermometers) used have changed as well.

Young children , pre adolescents , teens and adults are probably still anxious about any number of medical procedures needing to be performed be it a rectal temperature taking or going “ under” for surgery. That is the reality of the medical environment and our approach to it.

I won't argue with one's perception. I am not sure how it follows that the perceived trauma of having one's temperature taken rectally causes a fixation? It would seem to require a very frequent occurrence and I am not sure that this is the experience of most children or youth at a physical. Lastly, the word trauma may not be the most fitting in this instance. I do agree that it has many levels. Anyway, experiences that took place in childhood can be defining and I hope that these memories get resolved. Best of luck.

I don't know if I was traumatized, but I was definitely embarrassed. I remember when I was 4 or maybe 5 going to the doctor and waiting for the nurse to come in the exam room I was stripped down to my under pants and sat on the table. I remember the nurse telling me it's time to take your temperature. I remember her smiling and telling me lay on your tummy, I have to take it in your bucket honey. I remember her telling my mom to hold me down firmly. She speed my cheeks and put the thermometer in. After she took it out my rear end felt greasy and violated. That memory is still vivid in my mind, along with the memory of being in the hospital and having my temperature taken

RTFixation

I cant agree with you more. I had very similar experiences with RT's into teens. Seemed to be an unquestioned routine. Once when I asked for oral, my parents were there too and backed me up on that but dr told them that boys couldnt hold it in their mouths and under tongue very well and had the tendency to clamp down on it or use their teeth and the dangers of breaking it and having broken glass and mercury in the mouth could be real dangerous, plus in my case, I had frequent GI complaints and this Dr said I should stay on rectals, as did most of his male patients all the way thru high school. Wow! For me it/ felt like abuse/invasion of privacy and was esp puzzling because it usually got me semi erect if not all the way erect, but didnt like the experience at all. This is what I ve learned is just the bodys normal physiologic reaction ( erection to anal stimulation, esp when prostate is stimulated) and this is why male victims of rape have such a horrible conflict about their rape and abuse. Learning to enjoy anal stimulation and eroticism as an adult expanded my erotic life and feelings physically, but mentally it feels humiliating and embarassing still, but that is part of the whole thing too. I have always been curious about how some things become eroticized to some and not to others.

Anything that’s unnecessary, and done against your will, is a privacy violation. It doesn’t have to involve intense suffering, to create a lifelong trauma. Since it was done in a medical office, it’s apparently acceptable, but if an adult took a minor’s rectal temperature, in a private home, wouldn’t the authorities and the psychologists be jumping up and down?

A simple answer is you go AMA if you are cognizant and able to understand what procedure is about to be performed., and any ill effects occurring as a result of that decision is on the patient. But I concede there are procedures that if not administered may cost a patient, their health or life. To me, it seems either way the medical profession stands at risk for litigation

Rectal temperatures were never considered abusive, traumatizing or abusive in any manner until it became vogue for everyone to become a victim of some thing or the other.

Generations of people had their temperatures taken rectally and got on with their lives and never felt “victimized”.

The contemporary “Everybody is a victim” agenda stops people from the next step in life: Get on with it.

So: No. Rectal temperatures would NEVER have been considered medical trauma by anyone in the time of mercury thermometers. It was up to the caregiver to decide if rt was right for the child and the circumstance.

It is only in today's society that people disingenuously look back through the lens of contemporary thinking and agenda.

That is almost always always disasterous to their conclusion(s).

One must look at it through the lens of the standards of the day or any and everything becomes questionable.

That opens the door to become a victim in their mind.

I’m sure that mental health professionals, and lawyers would have a field day, adding this to the list of politicized weapons. I actually had a pediatrician lecture me, because I took my 7 year old‘s rectal temperature, when she was extremely ill, and the oral thermometer wasn’t working properly. I told her that I used it to take my own temperature rectally. Does that mean that I’m a masochist, or sicko? How ridiculous!

I wouldn’t say traumatized as opposed to humiliation & embarrassment when I was 4 getting my rectal temp in the hospital. Legs being held up in diaper position by nurse. However on that day it lead me down this glorious rabbit hole of anal stimulation/sex/play 🐇🕳🍑🌡💦🍆

I think those who stigmatize rectal temperature taking as “Abusive, ” and all that other garbage, are transferring their own issues onto everyone else.

Pretend your opinion is a rectal thermometer: Stick it up your a$$.

@Temptaker4u I agree, rectal temperature taking isn't abusive. But you sure are! Also, learn how to spell.

I think those who stigmatize rectal temperature taking as “Aubusive, ” and all that other garbage, are transferring their own issues onto everyone else.

Pretend your opinion is a rectal thermometer: Stick it up your a$$.

From a nursing view, I wouldn’t consider rectal temperature taking as abusive as long as it’s done so for medical purposes. Those of us who incorporate rectal temperatures into sexual play as adult partners are into that because we like it.

But as for taking adult rectal temperatures in a medical setting, it’s done when a core body temperature is essential. Also the patient will typically be unconscious or delirious, and completely unaware a thermometer got stuck up their butt.

When taking a child’s temperature rectally, if it’s done properly and gently most kids won’t mind it or remember having it done. Most rectal thermometers we use on children in a medical setting get an accurate reading in under 10 seconds. We only insert the lubricated probe about 1-½” very gently. It’s usually already over with only a whimper or slight discomfort at most. It should never cause pain or distress.

Certainly not abusive, but definitely necessary when a child or patient can’t cooperate with an oral temperature.

I don’t think the original post was really suggesting that rectal temperatures were abusive. Sounds more like they were asking if anyone perceived them as abuse when they got a rectal temp during childhood. There’s a difference. Also, trauma is different for everyone. Some people are traumatized by dogs and others love them. Some are traumatized by roller coasters and others find them fun. Of course rectal temperatures are not abusive but they have certainly been traumatic for some children.

From a nursing view, I wouldn’t consider rectal temperature taking as abusive as long as it’s done so for medical purposes. Those of us who incorporate rectal temperatures into sexual play as adult partners are into that because we like it.

But as for taking adult rectal temperatures in a medical setting, it’s done when a core body temperature is essential. Also the patient will typically be unconscious or delirious, and completely unaware a thermometer got stuck up their butt.

When taking a child’s temperature rectally, if it’s done properly and gently most kids won’t mind it or remember having it done. Most rectal thermometers we use on children in a medical setting get an accurate reading in under 10 seconds. We only insert the lubricated probe about 1-½” very gently. It’s usually already over with only a whimper or slight discomfort at most. It should never cause pain or distress.

Certainly not abusive, but definitely necessary when a child or patient can’t cooperate with an oral temperature.

I was in and out of the hospital a lot when little (in the 50s) and I hated both RTs and enemas. They were given right after visiting hours. Both were humiliating as there was no privacy. I guess privacy for little kids wasn't a priotity back then. Everyone got their temps taken at the same time. Enemas followed (If needed)., the nurse would bring them in on a little cart and then give them one after another, you'd have to hold them for 5 min and then rund down the hall to the restroom.

I had my temp taken rectally when I was 4 by a nurse. Having never had it done I had no idea what was happening. After routine check of breathing, etc. the nurse told me to lay down and turn over. I complied. She slipped my pants and underwear down and took a slender glass rod out of a container on the nearby stand. Next thing I knew I felt it slide into my bottom. Trauma? No, but a tremendous erection, at least for a 4 yr old.

Traumatic? Again no. Unforgettable? Absolutely

Some of you discuss whether rectal temperatures are abusive.

There is something known as “pathological nursing” where an adult, often a mother, applies unnecessary, or unnecessarily, intimate procedures to children, for the adult's enjoyment. That would apply, for instance, for a mother insisting on taking a rectal temperature herself on an able-bodied 11 year old, and deriving sexual enjoyment from it. That's certainly abusive.

I mention the sexual enjoyment aspect because it sometimes happens that unnecessary or unnecessarily intimate procedures are applied for more “bureaucratic" reasons. Some users have mentioned hospitals (up to the 1970s) who used to enforce “in the children's ward up to 15 years old” and “everybody in the children's ward has his or her rectal temperature taken by nurses” policies. That's not pathological nursing, because there is probably no sexual enjoyment derived. It could still be considered abusive in a different way.

We had a thermal gun for taking temperatures. I used to like playing with it. It never occurred to me to stick it up someone's bottom. Fortunately, no one shoved it up mine. It was threatened mind you.

No

Traumatic??? Not anymore so than having your BP checked. But not necessary for anyone who is able to have it taken orally or otherwise.

Even if not necessary - by an abusive parent/nurse etc. - it's a stretch to say it would be traumatic.

RTFixation, I think it depends how you're using the word “trauma.” I agree that unwelcome or unpleasant, or even downright humiliating things from childhood could be classified as traumatic, in the general sense of the term. I guess I'd need to understand more about what it is that you classify as traumatizing as compared to, say, humiliating or objectifying. Complex trauma, on the other hand, is a very different thing, and I can't imagine any survivor of complex trauma that involved RT in some way wanting to recreate that in a play setting. It would be triggering and re-traumatizing in the most damaging way.

Most people, myself included, have experienced pain and apprehension from dentists and doctors. In some cases, it can cause lifelong trauma. Rectal temperatures are more embarrassing, than traumatic.