I grew up being stethed bare chested but in recent years it's been over my shirt, even the cardio doesn't ask me to take off my shirt. In play exams, it's always bare chest and I can tell the difference. I don't know how a doctor can get a good listen to a woman's heart without exposing her breasts. One woman I stethed was 22 at the time. She said I was the first one to see her breasts and the first to steth her bare chested since she was elementary school age. Does your doctor steth you bare chested?