Medical Nostalgia - What were exams like in the 1980s and 90s?

Hey everyone. I know its a popular subject to discuss our exam experiences reminiscing on nostalgia from the “good days” but I wanted to get some more extensive details, because this has been on my mind lately. Since we’re all in agreement that now days physical exams have grown extremely lacking, becoming less thorough, rarely having to undress, and doctors seemingly more rushed and stressed than ever, they are sparse in giving their patient satisfactory attention. I’ve said before that it has become more about patient comfort than patient necessity, and treated as a time inconvenience rather than an essential routine part of a healthy lifestyle.

Recently I came across a local family medicine practice on google, and the photos of the office and exam room looked right out of the early 1990s! And many of the reviews mentioned that the primary doctor has been at the practice for 30 years and was very “experienced” and “thorough”. Needless to say I am interested in scheduling an appointment there just to see for myself. As part of the somewhat-forgotten generation midway between the Millennials and Gen Z in our mid-twenties, I did not live through the 80s and or experience much from the 90s (but god I wish, those decades seemed amazing), so I am curious to hear from both men and women who were young adults (18-30 range) during the 1980s-90s what going to the doctor was like for physical exams, gynecology exams, hospitalization etc.

Did you have to undress for the exam?

Were you given a gown or did you receive the exam in your underwear or nude?

If gown, was it a cloth gown or paper gown?

Were doctor’s offices more modest with their patients back then or do you think they have become more so now given our modern social sensitivities?

Did you (or the general majority of people) wear white underwear - briefs, bra and panties?

Did you have to remove them during the exam?

Were you barefoot for your exams or did you wear socks? Were you wearing white socks?

What clothes, particularly from the style of those decades, did you wear to the doctors office before your exam?

How were you weighed, in the hallway or in the exam room? Were you weighed in your underwear or fully clothed?

Was your temperature taken rectally as an adult?

How would the doctor or nurse instruct you to undress? What did they say? Would the nurse give you instructions ahead of time or wait until the doctor arrived? Did they step out of the exam room while you changed or did they remain?

What was a visit to the ER or Hospital for a routine surgery like in the 80s and 90s compared to now?

Did more doctors do examinations with gloves on or bare hands?

Were the majority of doctors you saw male or female?

Were the majority of gynecologists back then male or female? Were you comfortable seeing them anyways?

Did you receive shots in the butt?

How thorough were genital exams back then?

Did doctors traditionally do a rectal exam before middle age?

What are some films or tv shows from the 80s and 90s that have good medical scenes in them, that may have attracted your interest?

If you had enlisted in the army during the 80s, what was getting the MEP like?

How thorough was it compared to what they do now?

I am just old enough in my twenties to have experienced some fading parts of the more “traditional” medical practice when growing up seeing my pediatrician and while I have been going to college and doing athletics, right as this modern shift to this new trend of modesty and comfort culture that has taken hold in the medical world. Perhaps it’s a byproduct result of new medical science and the pandemic that forged this new paradigm of less thorough exams, due to the fractionalization of medicine where everything is now a specialization and so the practice of general healthcare physicals is slowly eroding away. I think it’s quite sad honestly, even though I can appreciate the advancements made in modern medicine. We’ll probably reach Star Trek levels soon enough where an AI can just scan you and immediately summarize your health status and recommend treatment, no longer needing physicians LOL! But even if the “good ol days” are passed in real medicine, play exams don’t have to change! I love the idea of an old-fashioned styled play exam and always interested in getting one in the spirit of late 20th century nostalgia!

Curious to read your responses!

Interesting topic. I'll talk about exams during the 1980s when I was a young adult.

Did you have to undress for the exam?

Yes. Generally it was undress to bra and panties, sometimes just panties.

Were you given a gown or did you receive the exam in your underwear or nude?

I didn't start getting gowns until the 1990s. With an actual physical it was undress to bra and panties. If they were going to do an EKG or a breast exam it was bra off. If it was a well-woman exam with a pelvic I usually had a sheet to put over me.

If gown, was it a cloth gown or paper gown?

Cloth. Paper didn't start showing up 'till the 2000's

Were doctor’s offices more modest back then or do you think they have become more so now given our modern social sensitivities?

Not sure what you're asking. Did like strange people walk in? No, of course not. Did I have to get nude for the doctor? yes. I still do now depending on the exam being given but not as often and if so there's a drape or a gown.

Did you (or the general majority of people) wear white underwear - briefs, bra and panties?

I never cared for white underwear, I preferred colored or print. Some people wore white. I know I had friends who thought it was weird that I liked 'sexy underwear' for daily wear, not just date-night. I'd reply 'they make me feel good about myself'.

Did you have to remove them during the exam?

Not during. If they needed to come off I was told to take them off before the doctor came in.

Were you barefoot for your exams or did you wear white socks?

I always keep my socks on, my feet are always cold.

What clothes, particularly from the style of those decades, did you wear to the doctors office before your exam?

Street clothing. I didn't dress special for the doctor. Usually whatever I was going to be wearing for whatever I did after going to the doctor.

How were you weighed, in the hallway or in the exam room?

In the exam room in underwear.

What was a visit to the ER or Hospital for a routine surgery like in the 80s and 90s compared to now?

The biggest difference was you were more likely to be admitted for monitoring after. There was much less in the way of day surgery.

Were the majority of doctors you saw male or female?

Most were male.

Were the majority of gynecologists back then male or female? Were you comfortable seeing them anyways?

I saw my first female GYN in the late 80's, early 90's. She was great. I had men prior. Some were great, some were horrible.

How thorough were genital exams back then?

For a well woman exam? About the same.

Did doctors traditionally do a rectal exam before middle age?

I got a few rectovaginal exams but usually not.

I'm a board certified specialist in internal medicine who started practicing with one other internist in 1978 and have done tens of thousands of physical exams. So that's the vantage point from which I respond to your questions. First, speaking now pretty much as a patient (I'm retired) I don't think the clinical environment has changed much. Patients for a routine exam were weighed in the hall. I scheduled an hour for a new patient -- about half that time was given to the history and half to the physical. The patient stayed clothed for the history...then I left, generally to see a return patient while the person undressed. They left their shorts on but everything else off. They got a gown...all women put it on but maybe only half the men. Socks were optional but eventually they came off when I examined the feet. People over 40 got rectal exams or anyone with symptoms making one appropriate. I had a chaperone present for pelvic exams for women. That's it tho I bet I missed some of your questions. I think my approach was fairly typical for the day when the greater availability of lab and imaging changed the whole approach.

I'll add answers to a few more of the questions of the original poster. The gowns we used were cloth. I think sometime in the 80s the great switch to paper began but we never did. We never took rectal temperatures...I only ever heard of one practice that did that on adults. I only wore gloves for the genital and rectal exams. I think they interfered with my perception in palpation and I always thought people would rather be touched by skin than by a glove. I always let the patient see me wash my hands. Male physicians were much more common than female and that included GYNs. And nearly all shots were given in the deltoid. The only injections given in the butt were those requiring a larger muscle mass like gamma globulin, most penicillins, and a few others. There...I think I got most of them.

Thanks for your responses @Pollux and @Nurse_Phillips that really puts things into perspective just how much society has changed.

Pediatric and adult exams were quite different. Growing up, everything off except underwear. Now, nothing comes off. Growing up, very hands on, weighed and measured, BP, rectal temperature, then removing undershirt and waiting for the doctor. Very comprehensive exam, eventually taking off underpants, and standing naked for the balance of the exam. Most ended with a penicillin shot in my rear. Today, a nurse will do vitals, but no temperature taking at all. Blood work, possible urinalysis. The doctor comes in and talks and takes notes. Takes out stethoscope and listens front and back over shirt. Tells you to come back in 6 months. That’s about it today.

Lots of questions ! I will attempt to answer as many as possible in narrative form.

My childhood exams were from a pediatrician in the 1960s and early 1970s. I saw a pediatrician until the end of high school which, based on my friends, was not at all unusual. I had two pediatricians because we moved. First pediatrician, birth through 6th grade I always had to strip down to my "tighty whities" for physical exams. So that answers your white underwear question. I really do not think there were any other options back then, at least not for kids. Most of the exam was in my tighty whities but at the end they came off - not just pulled down - for the genital examination.

In 6th grade we moved and I went to a different pediatrician. Both pediatricians were "older" men - although when you're a kid people your parents' age are "old". The second pediatrician things started the same way - strip down to my tighty whities - but when he came into the exam room, after talking to my mom for a couple of minutes, he told me to take off my underpants and hop up on the scale. And then I stayed nude until the end. I was not shocked by this because I knew other boys who were nude for their exams. I actually chalked it up to getting older. You asked about gowns - never had a gown offered until well into adulthood and personally I find gowns annoying.

At the end of high school my dad took me to his doctor for my pre-college physical exam. My dad's doctor was a retired Army doctor. In the 70s there were LOTS of these guys from the various wars and I later found out that my father preferred the military doctors, perhaps because of his service in WW2. As with the second pediatrician I had to strip nude for the examination. Dad's doctor became my new doctor for the next several years. Once you do fully nude physical exams they just don't phase you anymore. Seems like a logical way to do a physical exam and back then doctors were not at all concerned about patient modesty. My pediatrician exams were done with my mother in the exam room and my exams with my father's doctor were done with dad in the exam room. Everyone I knew had a parent in the room through high school and some of us beyond high school. I actually know some more recent young men who preferred a parent stay with them during their physicals.

People mention being weighed in the hallway but I was always weighed on a scale in the exam room.

Gloves were not used the way they are now. Honestly, I do not remember any of my pediatricians using gloves, even for the testicle exam. I could be wrong but I think I am not. Gloves came along later in my life as an adult and certainly for prostate exams, of course.

Shots were done in the butt or in the arm, depending on the shot. I was surprised when I saw a dermatologist in high school about eczema on my arms. The doctor wanted to give me a cortisone shot and I was surprised when he said it had to go in my butt.

Much of today's modesty is what I would consider false modesty. A couple of examples. I had to have an ultrasound of my testicles done a couple of times. A sheet was placed over my legs just below my testicles and a sheet placed over my torso just about my testicles. You're spending ten minutes rubbing a gooey ultrasound wand over my testicles - do I really care if my legs are covered ? I also had to get what is called a venous Doppler of my legs because of suspected blood clots. I figured that the tech would be running the wand up and down my legs so I kept my boxer shorts on. Point to make - I was not asked to remove them, just my pants. Well, if you ever have to get this done to you, 90% of the time of the exam is spent on the artery that is located at the crease where your leg meets your groin - I don't know why, but that's how it is done. So the technician, a male, was up the legs of my boxer shorts most of the time. By the time he was done my boxer shorts were soaked from the gel that they use. The ride home was extremely uncomfortable. Had he told me what he would be doing, and asked me if I wanted to keep my boxer shorts on or take them off, I would have taken them off. I have had two or three of them done since then and I made sure to wear briefs instead of boxer shorts.

I saw a doctor once when I was looking for a new doctor and I was told to keep my underwear on AND wear a gown. Seriously ? If I strip down to my boxer shorts I am wearing nothing less than I do when I to to my community pool. Wearing a gown is stupid especially since eventually you are going to be fondling my genitals and sticking your finger up my butt. That (the gown) was annoying but even more annoying was waiting 45 minutes to see him. I never returned.

Never had a rectal temperature as an adult. I actually never remember having a rectal temperature at all in the doctor's office, even as a kid, although I am sure as an infant I did.

I visited my pediatrician in the 90's and into 2000's.

I undressed to my underwear, which eventually came off, so I was bare by the end of the exam.

My pediatrician's office was small but I felt I had privacy. No one ever walked in on my exams. I felt most "exposed" in the waiting room for whatever reason.

I was weighed in a private area so no one saw me except the nurse. I was weighed in my underwear.

I have no memory of my temperature taken any way except orally.

Once I was in the exam room the nurse instructed me to undress to my underwear. As the exam progressed, the doctor would have me remove my bra then later my panties.

His exams were done bare handed until he examined my genitals, then he put on gloves.

I only saw one doctor until I was 18, and he was male.

I did receive shots in my bottom yes and I hated them.

I never had a very thorough genital exam at my pediatrician's office. He did do a visual exam but he never did any internal exam.

Great thread, always nice to read others experiences from that age. i grew up during the 80s and 90s. Never had a single doc so my experiences may be a little different. Here are answers to most of the questions:

Did you have to undress for the exam?

Were you given a gown or did you receive the exam in your underwear or nude?

My exams were almost always "strip as you go", ending up in underwear (or shorts over underwear), which eventually came down. Never really had a "nude" exam.

Did you (or the general majority of people) wear white underwear - briefs, bra and panties?

I probably ran the full spectrum -- white briefs when younger, turning slowly into colored briefs, and then to boxers as a I was older. Then eventually ended up with boxer briefs.

Did you have to remove them during the exam?

Yes, they were always pulled down. Even into adulthood that happened.

Were you barefoot for your exams or did you wear socks? Were you wearing white socks?

Always barefoot, socks came off at the beginning when asked to remove shoes..

What clothes, particularly from the style of those decades, did you wear to the doctors office before your exam?

Nothing special -- what I usually had on that day. i tended to have exams in the summer months due to school schedules (and still usually do), so typically shorts, t-shirt, tennis shoes.

How were you weighed, in the hallway or in the exam room? Were you weighed in your underwear or fully clothed?

almost always in a more "public" area, and as long as I can remember, wearing clothes (minus shoes, and empty out the pockets.)

Was your temperature taken rectally as an adult?

never. i can't actually recall the last time I had that for any type of real medical encounter.

How would the doctor or nurse instruct you to undress? What did they say? Would the nurse give you instructions ahead of time or wait until the doctor arrived? Did they step out of the exam room while you changed or did they remain?

with the strip as you go, it started out either with the nurse telling me to take off my socks and shoes. Soemtimes, the nurse would also tell me to take off my shirt and wait for the doc on the table, or the doc telling me to do it when he was ready after he came in. I was never asked (at least through early adulthood) to take off pants or underwear up front. The doc would always ask me to remove shorts/underwear -- I typically would be asked to stand up, and then pull them down for the exam.

Did more doctors do examinations with gloves on or bare hands?

i generally remember gloves for the genital exam. once in a while, gloves for other parts as well.

Were the majority of doctors you saw male or female?

Male.

Did you receive shots in the butt?

Not that I remember. I'm sure it happened when I was younger.

How thorough were genital exams back then?

They were usually pretty quick, but i would say thorough. The doc felt everything but was usually pretty efficient about it. normally all done in under a minute.

Did doctors traditionally do a rectal exam before middle age?

Not for me. A few of my friends in high school had it done as part of military entrance exams.

Good thread. I have talked about much of this in other threads, but here goes... I was a kid in the 1970s and a teenager in the 1980s.

Did you have to undress for the exam? - Yes. If there for an illness, often shirt still came off. If there for a physical exam, my brothers and I got undressed.

Were you given a gown or did you receive the exam in your underwear or nude? - this varied between doctors. We went to many different ones. Of the two main ones, one had us in underpants for the preliminary stuff and then fully naked for the main physical exam. The other had us in a gown with nothing on underneath.

If gown, was it a cloth gown or paper gown? Cloth back then. First paper gown was a school physical in 11th grade, I think.

Were doctor’s offices more modest with their patients back then or do you think they have become more so now given our modern social sensitivities? I think attitudes have changed. With boys, I don't think they used to be that concerned about modesty, and you can often find proof of this in medical books about physical exams from that time period.

Did you (or the general majority of people) wear white underwear - briefs, bra and panties? Back then all my brothers and I had were basic tighty whities. Fruit of the Loom or Hanes.

Did you have to remove them during the exam? - Yes

Were you barefoot for your exams or did you wear socks? Were you wearing white socks? - For a physical socks came off. Sometimes they would be on if we had to go to a different room for something, but in the main exam room, they were off.

What clothes, particularly from the style of those decades, did you wear to the doctors office before your exam? - Generally jeans, flannel shirt, t-shirt, sneakers.

How were you weighed, in the hallway or in the exam room? Were you weighed in your underwear or fully clothed? - Had it both ways at different doctors. Sometimes weighed in underpants, sometimes naked.

Was your temperature taken rectally as an adult? - No. Only as a kid.

How would the doctor or nurse instruct you to undress? What did they say? Would the nurse give you instructions ahead of time or wait until the doctor arrived? Did they step out of the exam room while you changed or did they remain? - There were a lot of different ones. A couple that I remember were both a male physician's assistant at a large children and adolescent clinic we went to a lot. He would usually tell us "ok, guys. Shirts off" for the preliminary stuff (which involved goign to adjacent rooms, then, as we sat, he stared the Q&A part with our parents. Then he would say, "Ok, let's have the boys take off the rest of their clothes. They can leave underpants on for now but nothing else." He stayed there to set things up for the doctor and then would step out to get him.

What was a visit to the ER or Hospital for a routine surgery like in the 80s and 90s compared to now? - N/A

Did more doctors do examinations with gloves on or bare hands? - It was common when I was a kid for most of it to be with bare hands.

Were the majority of doctors you saw male or female? - Almost all male. There was one female doctor who examined us a couple of times at that same large clinic.

Were the majority of gynecologists back then male or female? Were you comfortable seeing them anyways? - N/A

Did you receive shots in the butt? - As a kid, yes.

How thorough were genital exams back then? - That varied. I had Tanner staging done several times, which usually means a more thorough genital exam.

Did doctors traditionally do a rectal exam before middle age? - It happened a couple of times in adolescence/teens.

What are some films or tv shows from the 80s and 90s that have good medical scenes in them, that may have attracted your interest? - Not sure. though I think I recall some bits and pieces.

If you had enlisted in the army during the 80s, what was getting the MEP like? - N/A

How thorough was it compared to what they do now? - Much more detailed, for sure. I have never had as an adult a physical as detailed as several I got in my teens.

Great thread, I've talked about my experiences in that era before, born in 1985, so I'll answer the relevent questions:

Did you have to undress for the exam?

If I went to the doctor when I was ill, I would usually be asked to undress to my underwear.

Were you given a gown or did you receive the exam in your underwear or nude?

Just in my underwear.

Did you (or the general majority of people) wear white underwear - briefs, bra and panties?

I tended to wear a variety of colours of briefs, including white, until I was about 10 then switched to boxers.

Did you have to remove them during the exam?

Not at the doctors, only in school exams.

Were you barefoot for your exams or did you wear socks? Were you wearing white socks?

Sometimes waearing white socks, sometimes I was asked to remove them.

What clothes, particularly from the style of those decades, did you wear to the doctors office before your exam?

The clothes I normally wore, usually t-shirt and shorts.

How were you weighed, in the hallway or in the exam room? Were you weighed in your underwear or fully clothed?

Weighed in the exam room in my underpants and sometimes socks as well.

How would the doctor or nurse instruct you to undress? What did they say? Would the nurse give you instructions ahead of time or wait until the doctor arrived? Did they step out of the exam room while you changed or did they remain?

The doctor would tell my parents to undress me to my underpants, and stayed in teh exam room wjhile I was undressed.

Did more doctors do examinations with gloves on or bare hands?

Just bare hands.

Were the majority of doctors you saw male or female?

Mainly male.

Did you receive shots in the butt?

No, just in my arm.

How thorough were genital exams back then?

When I had exams at school, I had a pretty thorough genital exam.

Born in 85. Male.

Did you have to undress for the exam?

Always down to my briefs.

Were you given a gown or did you receive the exam in your underwear or nude?

Only once, but it was the wrong doctor, ours was on another floor.

If gown, was it a cloth gown or paper gown?

Paper.

Were doctor’s offices more modest with their patients back then or do you think they have become more so now given our modern social sensitivities?

My first pediatrician was definitely less modest. The scale was in the hallway and me and my brother were weighed in our underwear. I don't remember being embarrassed because we were young and you didn't really see anyone else walking around.

Did you (or the general majority of people) wear white underwear - briefs, bra and panties?

White briefs, cartoon when I was younger 5-7 probably.

Did you have to remove them during the exam?

Yes.

Were you barefoot for your exams or did you wear socks? Were you wearing white socks?

Barefoot.

What clothes, particularly from the style of those decades, did you wear to the doctors office before your exam?

Jeans or shorts and t-shirts or tank tops.

How were you weighed, in the hallway or in the exam room? Were you weighed in your underwear or fully clothed?

Hallway first pediatrician and in room for second. Usually in underwear, in late teens the nurse usually did it with shoes off before we stripped for the doctor.

Was your temperature taken rectally as an adult?

Nope.

How would the doctor or nurse instruct you to undress? What did they say? Would the nurse give you instructions ahead of time or wait until the doctor arrived? Did they step out of the exam room while you changed or did they remain?

Depends. I don't remember actual instructions word for word. First doctor, stripped as soon as we went to the room and nurse would come in. Second, nurse would usually ask us to take everything but our underwear off and wait for the doctor.

What was a visit to the ER or Hospital for a routine surgery like in the 80s and 90s compared to now?

Never went to the ER as a kid except once when my brother had stitches. Nothing came off.

Did more doctors do examinations with gloves on or bare hands?

I only remember gloves going on for genital exam. It was always the clue it was coming.

Were the majority of doctors you saw male or female?

Male.

Did you receive shots in the butt?

Not that I remember. I did as an adult.

How thorough were genital exams back then?

Usually a hernia exam and testicle exam for cancer. At least once I had a doctor do the Cremasteric reflex when I was a kid.

Did doctors traditionally do a rectal exam before middle age?

Haven't had it done yet.

What are some films or tv shows from the 80s and 90s that have good medical scenes in them, that may have attracted your interest?

Arachnophobia.

How thorough was it compared to what they do now?

First adult doctor was more thorough than current. Current one I don't take off anything and he just does blood tests.

Did you have to undress for the exam?

Always

Were you given a gown or did you receive the exam in your underwear or nude?

underwear or naed

If gown, was it a cloth gown or paper gown?

Were doctor’s offices more modest with their patients back then or do you think they have become more so now given our modern social sensitivities?

Modesty was non existent in the 1980's especially for boys

Did you (or the general majority of people) wear white underwear - briefs, bra and panties?

Briefs for me

Did you have to remove them during the exam?

not completely ,doctor would lower one side then another.

Were you barefoot for your exams or did you wear socks? Were you wearing white socks?

barefoot

What clothes, particularly from the style of those decades, did you wear to the doctors office before your exam?

preppy and colorful

How were you weighed, in the hallway or in the exam room? Were you weighed in your underwear or fully clothed?

underwear in the exam room and once naked in the exam room

Was your temperature taken rectally as an adult?

No

How would the doctor or nurse instruct you to undress? What did they say? Would the nurse give you instructions ahead of time or wait until the doctor arrived? Did they step out of the exam room while you changed or did they remain?

Would speak to my mom who accompanied my brother and I to our checkup's and the nurse would sometimes stay would say something like 'have you sons strip down to their underpants'

What was a visit to the ER or Hospital for a routine surgery like in the 80s and 90s compared to now?

do not know

Did more doctors do examinations with gloves on or bare hands?

bare hands

Were the majority of doctors you saw male or female?

female

Were the majority of gynecologists back then male or female? Were you comfortable seeing them anyways?

Did you receive shots in the butt?

no

How thorough were genital exams back then?

briefs were pulled down on the table and sometimes standing

Did doctors traditionally do a rectal exam before middle age?

not to my knowledge

I was born in 1976 so all the exams I remember through college were in the 80s and 90s. My answers below are for my pediatrician visits up to age 16 in 1992.

Did you have to undress for the exam? Yes

Were you given a gown or did you receive the exam in your underwear or nude? Underwear, no gown

Were doctor’s offices more modest with their patients back then or do you think they have become more so now given our modern social sensitivities? I was afforded no modesty at all.

Did you (or the general majority of people) wear white underwear - briefs, bra and panties? White briefs

Did you have to remove them during the exam? The doctor pulled them down usually. Only once completely off of me when I was 13.

Were you barefoot for your exams or did you wear socks? Were you wearing white socks? Barefoot

What clothes, particularly from the style of those decades, did you wear to the doctors office before your exam? Seen Saved By The Bell? Yeah, that. Crazy color prints on hugely baggy shirts and baggy jeans. At least when I was old enough to remember what I was wearing.

How were you weighed, in the hallway or in the exam room? Were you weighed in your underwear or fully clothed? Hallway in underwear

Was your temperature taken rectally as an adult? No. I don't remember ever having a rectal temperature, but based on seeing my little brother, I'm sure my mom used one on me before kindergarten.

How would the doctor or nurse instruct you to undress? What did they say? Would the nurse give you instructions ahead of time or wait until the doctor arrived? Did they step out of the exam room while you changed or did they remain? The nurse would tell my mom to take everything off me but my underpants, then leave for a few minutes. Until I was 13, my mom took her literally and actually undressed me. After that, she let me undress myself, even though the nurse's instructions never changed. When the nurse came back, she'd walk me down the hall to the scale then back to the exam room for temperature (oral glass thermometer), blood pressure, etc. before leaving us to wait for the doctor.

What was a visit to the ER or Hospital for a routine surgery like in the 80s and 90s compared to now? Luckily never had one.

Did more doctors do examinations with gloves on or bare hands? Bare hands

Were the majority of doctors you saw male or female? Male

Did you receive shots in the butt? Yes, a couple of times, but usually just in the arm. The shots in the butt were the only time the nurse would pull down my underwear.

How thorough were genital exams back then? Mine from age 13 onward probably lasted longer than normal, due to my being a late bloomer.

Did doctors traditionally do a rectal exam before middle age? No

What are some films or tv shows from the 80s and 90s that have good medical scenes in them, that may have attracted your interest? I watched every episode of Dr. Quinn hoping she'd give Chad Allen's character an exam. Never happened, but I sure did imagine it a lot.

Did you have to undress for the exam? It varied, usually to my briefs.

Were you given a gown or did you receive the exam in your underwear or nude? See above

Were doctor’s offices more modest with their patients back then or do you think they have become more so now given our modern social sensitivities? More modest today

Did you (or the general majority of people) wear white underwear - briefs, bra and panties? Grey boxer briefs

Did you have to remove them during the exam? Always asked to lower them

Were you barefoot for your exams or did you wear socks? Socks on

What clothes, particularly from the style of those decades, did you wear to the doctors office before your exam? Casual, jeans or underarmor pants

How were you weighed, in the hallway or in the exam room? Hallway. Were you weighed in your underwear or fully clothed? Clothed

Was your temperature taken rectally as an adult? Only temporal, once orally

How would the doctor or nurse instruct you to undress? Strip down to your underwear. What did they say? Strip down to your underwear. Would the nurse give you instructions ahead of time or wait until the doctor arrived? Ahead of time. Did they step out of the exam room while you changed or did they remain? Stepped out.

What was a visit to the ER or Hospital for a routine surgery like in the 80s and 90s compared to now? Can’t compare

Did more doctors do examinations with gloves on or bare hands? Bare hands until genital, then gloves

Were the majority of doctors you saw male or female? Male until my 50’s

Did you receive shots in the butt? As a kid since arms were skinny. Deltoid as an adult

How thorough were genital exams back then? mainly a hernia exam is what I remember

Did doctors traditionally do a rectal exam before middle age? No

What are some films or tv shows from the 80s and 90s that have good medical scenes in them, that may have attracted your interest? dDr. Kildare.

I don't think exams were different in general except that things are now more "high tech" in some respects. More advanced imaging devices may be used now, and now of course they use electronic infrared thermometers.

Did you have to undress for the exam? Yes

Were you given a gown or did you receive the exam in your underwear or nude? When I was around ten I was offered a gown. My sister had starting to bug and so they gave her a separate exam room.

If gown, was it a cloth gown or paper gown? Cloth gown

Were doctor’s offices more modest with their patients back then or do you think they have become more so now given our modern social sensitivities? Both of my doctors have had their own private offices or do you mean the exterior? Both are the same. Adobe brick outside.

Did you (or the general majority of people) wear white underwear - briefs, bra, and panties? Bra and panties until I was 17 then it was naked under the gown.

Did you have to remove them during the exam? Before I was seventeen I removed my bra. Panties stayed on and she just looked down there really fast.

Were you barefoot for your exams or did you wear socks? Were you wearing white socks? When I was young before I was seventeen I was barefoot. Then after I got my first pelvic and started nursing school I wore socks and yes they are white because I wear tennis shoes.

What clothes, particularly from the style of those decades, did you wear to the doctors office before your exam? When I was young and my mother would take my sister and we wore dresses. Now my sister wears jeans and I wear scrubs.

How were you weighed, in the hallway or in the exam room? Were you weighed in your underwear or fully clothed? In the exam room undressed.

Was your temperature taken rectally as an adult? I have never had my temperature taken rectally at the doctor.

How would the doctor or nurse instruct you to undress? What did they say? Would the nurse give you instructions ahead of time or wait until the doctor arrived? Did they step out of the exam room while you changed or did they remain? The nurse would always say take off everything down to your panties and bra. Now it is I need you to remove all of your clothes including your bra and panties and put on this gown open in the back. She would ask if I needed any help but I didn't because my sister is always in the exam room with me and I am in the exam room with her. Then the nurse would leave. Next after a few minutes, there would be a couple of knocks at the door and ask if I am ready then the doctor and nurse would come in.

What was a visit to the ER or Hospital for a routine surgery like in the 80s and 90s compared to now? Our doctor was the ER where we lived. So it was pretty fast. My sister was always getting injured like a cut on her foot or a bad smashed finger. She still to this day stays close to the hall when walking past the room they used for the ER. But the ER and hospitals today take a lot of time. Computers did not help much for checking in. You still have to got through a million questions before they will see you. Questions like; Do you have a high temperature or have you had one in the last week? Have you had a cough? Have you had diarrhea in the last week? Are you having any stomach issues such as not being able to keep food or drink down? Do you have any problems during your menstrual cycle? When was your last period? Was it normal? Do you have any chest pain? It goes on and on. Then it keeps all that information so the doctor can compare it. I know all of this because I am a nurse.

Did more doctors do examinations with gloves on or bare hands? My doctor when I was young never used gloves and examined me and my sister. Then later on in years started using gloves.

Were the majority of doctors you saw male or female? Both of my doctors were female.

Were the majority of gynecologists back then male or female? Were you comfortable seeing them anyways? Both of my doctors are GP's but have sub-specialties like OB/GYN and some have more.

Did you receive shots in the butt? When I was young.

How thorough were genital exams back then? When my sister and I were young the genital exams were fast. Nothing but a fast look and later spreading a little like looking for rashes or something.

Did doctors traditionally do a rectal exam before middle age? Ha ha! My first rectal was when I had my first pelvic to get on the pill and I was seventeen.

What are some films or tv shows from the 80s and 90s that have good medical scenes in them, that may have attracted your interest? The Medical Channel if you had cable.

If you had enlisted in the army during the 80s, what was getting the MEP like? Nope

How thorough was it compared to what they do now? Now my doctor is real thorough.

Thanks for posting this question. I think a lot has changed since but, here goes.

Did you have to undress for the exam?- Yes, it 'was routine when you went to any appointment at a doctor's office.

Were you given a gown or did you receive the exam in your underwear or nude?- No gown just in your underwear.

If gown, was it a cloth gown or paper gown?-N/A

Were doctor’s offices more modest with their patients back then or do you think they have become more so now given our modern social sensitivities?-I would not say modest. Mostly because people were at doctor's offices because they were actually ill or seeking treatment and when you do not feel well you do not care about modesty.

Did you (or the general majority of people) wear white underwear - briefs, bra and panties?- Back then everybody wore tidy whites. I think "colored underwear did not make a statement until the mid 1980's?

Did you have to remove them during the exam?-Yes. You knew after the stretching and "duck walk" parts that the doctor would sit on a stool and tell you to walk over to him.

Were you barefoot for your exams or did you wear socks? Were you wearing white socks?-Yes, asked to take off the socks. If I was wearing sneakers then yes white socks.

What clothes, particularly from the style of those decades, did you wear to the doctors office before your exam?-Usually "Izod polo with collar sticking up and jeans with "boat shoes". That was the 1980's.

How were you weighed, in the hallway or in the exam room? Were you weighed in your underwear or fully clothed?-Elementary school was done in the hallway and in Jr. High was in the room. When in the hallway just shoes off and in the room in underwear.

Was your temperature taken rectally as an adult?-Only a couple of times more in HS.

How would the doctor or nurse instruct you to undress? What did they say? Would the nurse give you instructions ahead of time or wait until the doctor arrived? Did they step out of the exam room while you changed or did they remain?-If I remember correctly, the nurse would tell us to take off your shirt, shoes, socks and pants. She would leave the room and then a couple of minutes later the doctor would knock.

What was a visit to the ER or Hospital for a routine surgery like in the 80s and 90s compared to now?-N/A

Did more doctors do examinations with gloves on or bare hands?-Bare hands

Were the majority of doctors you saw male or female?-Male

Were the majority of gynecologists back then male or female? Were you comfortable seeing them anyways?-N/A

Did you receive shots in the butt?-Yes, the majority of them were done this way.

How thorough were genital exams back then?-I think they were good as compared to now with really nothing.

Did doctors traditionally do a rectal exam before middle age?-No, I did not get a DRE until after 20 years old.

What are some films or tv shows from the 80s and 90s that have good medical scenes in them, that may have attracted your interest?-N/A

If you had enlisted in the army during the 80s, what was getting the MEP like?-N/A

How thorough was it compared to what they do now?-N/A

That's nostalgia??? I was thinking it was in the 50s.

Will answer what I can . . . but when I think of more intense and thorough exams I think back to the 50s and 60s . . .

Did you have to undress for the exam? - I don't recall ever doing so for a physical really. I think I most kept my clothes on. This was in the 80s . . . in the 90s I rarely went to the doctor.

Were you given a gown or did you receive the exam in your underwear or nude? - Always recall being in my normal clothes for the most part. Even when I'd go to the dermatologist in the 90s with acne it was a "lift your shirt" situation and not like a full body exam.

If gown, was it a cloth gown or paper gown? - NA

Were doctor’s offices more modest with their patients back then or do you think they have become more so now given our modern social sensitivities? - a bit of both. My experiences as a child and adult were mostly very modest. My primary I've seen for years now has never had me take off my short or lower my pants. Exceptions have been dermatologist and gastroenterologist where I've been given paper and cloth gowns. I did have one doctor in between who was very thorough at exams but he moved his office too far away.

Did you (or the general majority of people) wear white underwear - briefs, bra and panties? - as a kid I had briefs of various colors. I mostly wear boxer briefs now (not white) but have microfiber briefs I'll wear to doctor's appointments.

Did you have to remove them during the exam? - no

Were you barefoot for your exams or did you wear socks? Were you wearing white socks? - I've done both. If they don't say to leave them on I take them off, even if I know I could leave them on (like at the gastro doctor).

What clothes, particularly from the style of those decades, did you wear to the doctors office before your exam? - wore a lot of those satiny, checkboard Umbro shorts as a kid with a tshirt. Now jeans or or shorts and usually a tshirt with a zip up hoodie.

How were you weighed, in the hallway or in the exam room? Were you weighed in your underwear or fully clothed? - Usually shoes off but otherwise in clothes.

Was your temperature taken rectally as an adult? - no

How would the doctor or nurse instruct you to undress? What did they say? Would the nurse give you instructions ahead of time or wait until the doctor arrived? Did they step out of the exam room while you changed or did they remain? - I recall maybe being ask to take my shirt off but it usually spur of the moment thing, and I wasn't sitting around shirtless or anything.

What was a visit to the ER or Hospital for a routine surgery like in the 80s and 90s compared to now? - no idea. Managed to avoid the ER until last year so don't have a point of comparison.

Did more doctors do examinations with gloves on or bare hands? Don't recall.

Were the majority of doctors you saw male or female? Mostly saw male doctors in my youth but now choose female doctors because (I know it's a stereotype but has seemed true for me) they are much better listeners and talk with you instead of at you.

Did you receive shots in the butt? - I never did but went with a GF when she did (a steroid for mono)

How thorough were genital exams back then? - I don't recall them at all so very quick and topical I imagine.

Did doctors traditionally do a rectal exam before middle age? - Only had one doctor do a rectal exam that wasn't a rectal specialist. I was 34

My first experience with an “adult” doctor was for a physical in 1981. The nurse brought me into the exam room instructed me to remove my sneakers and recorded my height and weight. Also took my temperature by mouth. She then said everything off but your underpants and socks, the doctor will be right in. No gown was offered, although a few years later I would have to strip completely and wear a cloth gown.

I was wearing white briefs which was typical for that time. Was dressed in jeans and a polo shirt with a white t shirt under it. Also white socks and sneakers.

Male doctor and he only put on gloves for the genital exam. Had to drop my underwear to my knees and he did a fairly extensive exam of my penis and testicles before checking for a hernia. I did have to bend over for him to do visual inspection of my anus, but do finger until a few years later.

The doctor was never big on modesty, which I am ok with. I have nothing to hide and he has seen hundreds (or more) of guys naked over the years. I am there for a physical so I expect to be looked over and examined from head to toe and getting naked is part of the drill.

Born in 1982, so I came of age at the turn of the millennium.

Exams when younger were generally with me just in my underwear, though as a teenager I had several with a gown over underwear. I also had one where I just took my shirt off to start, but then after a while the doctor had me take off my shorts, then pull down my underwear. Probably was an equal number of exams by males and females, but I definitely prefer males.

Rectal temps are vague memories at best, so probably were long over for me by 4 or so. As an adult, never.

Had a rectal exam once about five years ago due to some bleeding - ended up being nothing substantial, just a hard poop that caused an anal fissure.

I was born in 1991. I had to get three physical exams in 2004, 2005, and 2006 (ages 13,14, and 15) that were very extensive and thorough

Did you have to undress for the exam?

Yes

Were you given a gown or did you receive the exam in your underwear or nude?

I received the exam in my underwear and was completely nude at the end.

Did you (or the general majority of people) wear white underwear - briefs, bra and panties?

Me and the general majority of people wore colored boxer briefs or boxers with some kind of color or plaid design.

Did you have to remove them during the exam?

Yes. I had to eventually remove my underwear and be completely naked during the exam.

Were you barefoot for your exams or did you wear socks? Were you wearing white socks?

I was barefoot. I tried to leave my white socks on during the physical one year but I was told to take them off because he needed to see my feet.

What clothes, particularly from the style of those decades, did you wear to the doctors office before your exam?

T-shirt, jeans, white socks, boxers. vans shoes

How were you weighed, in the hallway or in the exam room? Were you weighed in your underwear or fully clothed?

I was weighed in the exam room. I only had to had my shoes off.

How would the doctor or nurse instruct you to undress? What did they say? Would the nurse give you instructions ahead of time or wait until the doctor arrived? Did they step out of the exam room while you changed or did they remain?

I had my shoes off after being weighed by the nurse and sat and waited for the doctor. After the doctor checked my eyes, ears, nose, and throat, he gave me the instruction "take off all of your clothes accept for your underwear". He remained in the exam room when I took off my shirt, jeans, and socks.

Did more doctors do examinations with gloves on or bare hands?

Bare hands

How thorough were genital exams back then?

Mine were very thorough. I would be lying on the exam table on my back and he would tell me that he was going to check my penis and testicles and remove my underwear. I was completely naked on the exam table and he would spread my legs further apart and look through my genitals. I would generally close my eyes or look away when it was happening, but I could feel him looking though my pubes, checking all the skin of my penis and scrotum, and feeling each of my testicles.

Did doctors traditionally do a rectal exam before middle age?

I did not have a rectal exam but he did briefly look at my anus. Before the genital exam, I would be lying face down, on my stomach, on the exam table. He would feel my spine then pull my underwear down slightly and feel the skin on each of my butt cheeks.Then he spread my butt cheeks apart for a few seconds to look at my anus.

If you had enlisted in the army during the 80s, what was getting the MEPs like?

As an adult, I met a couple guys who were a little bit older than me who enlisted in the U.S. military shortly after 9/11. I heard that they had to be naked for the group part of the MEPS physical and that their genital and anal exams were done in view of some other recruits. I'm not sure if that practice was universal or widespread at the time though.

How thorough was it compared to what they do now?

Around 2010/2011 (age 19/20), I considered enlisting and researched what the MEPS process was like. From what I read, the policy at the time was that you could keep your underwear on for the group exam part but that guys who did not wear underwear had to be naked. The individual more thorough examination was done behind a curtain or screen, away from the other recruits, but you did have to remove your underwear and be completely naked.

When I was looking into the issue at the time, I came across an image of the group exam at MEPS. My understanding is that it generally still works that way today.

Link to photo: https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/a-m-waiting-for-a-more-thorough-examination-by-medical-news-photo/161075832

I am a male and was in high school in the early to mid 80's. this was my experience...

Did you have to undress for the exam?

Yes. For all my required sports physicals.

Were you given a gown or did you receive the exam in your underwear or nude?

No gown. Just told to undress to my underwear.

If gown, was it a cloth gown or paper gown?

I was never offered a gown until I was in my 30's

Were doctor’s offices more modest with their patients back then or do you think they have become more so now given our modern social sensitivities?

Doctor offices are more sensitive now and more concerned with a patient's modesty.

Did you (or the general majority of people) wear white underwear - briefs, bra and panties?

I wore white briefs (Hanes) as did nearly everyone my age.

Did you have to remove them during the exam?

Yes. Usually asked to lower my briefs to my knees while standing up.

Were you barefoot for your exams or did you wear socks? Were you wearing white socks?

Always barefoot

What clothes, particularly from the style of those decades, did you wear to the doctors office before your exam?

Levi jeans, button oxford shirt.

How were you weighed, in the hallway or in the exam room? Were you weighed in your underwear or fully clothed?

I was weighed in the hallway in my clothes but shoes off.

Was your temperature taken rectally as an adult?

never

How would the doctor or nurse instruct you to undress? What did they say? Would the nurse give you instructions ahead of time or wait until the doctor arrived? Did they step out of the exam room while you changed or did they remain?

The nurse led me to the exam room and took my vitals. She then instructed me to undress as she was exiting the room. "Undress (or Strip) down to your undershorts. The Doctor will be in shortly."

Did more doctors do examinations with gloves on or bare hands?

I only remember them putting gloves on to do the rectal exam.

Were the majority of doctors you saw male or female?

When I was younger they were always male.

Did you receive shots in the butt?

No

How thorough were genital exams back then?

Pretty thorough. Massaged both testicles feeling for lumps.

Did doctors traditionally do a rectal exam before middle age?

Yes. I had a DRE at every physical from the time I was 12.

What are some films or tv shows from the 80s and 90s that have good medical scenes in them, that may have attracted your interest?

MASH...Nurse Houlihan giving a patient a sponge bath. That episode (I don't know which one) definitely made me wish that a nurse would do that to me. lol

If you had enlisted in the army during the 80s, what was getting the MEP like?

I received an ROTC scholarship for college. I had to go through a whole day process, including a through medical exam, at an Air Force base 4 hours from my home. I was still 17 at the time so that may be why my medical exam was done individually with a doctor. It was a "strip as you go" exam but I was soon in my white briefs for most of it (including for the fabled "Underwear Olympics"). At the end I had to take my briefs off completely for a testicle exam and DRE. The young male doctor was seemed a little too intense in his advice about how I should be very concerned about testicle cancer. It struck me oddly at the time.

How thorough was it compared to what they do now?

I'm not sure about how it is done now.

I was born in the U.S.A. In 1973 and had many physicals during the ‘80s and ‘90s. I would say, in general, society, and doctors were much less concerned about patients’ modesty at that time. You knew back then that a trip to the doctor was likely to involve some embarrassment. Boys took for granted that their penises were going to come out for examination with any physical, even the most cursory.

Did you have to undress for the exam? At the pediatricin’s office, I was always told to “strip to your underwear” which meant down to white briefs. As an adult, I have had most exams that were stripped to my briefs, and have had others during which I was just told to remove my shirt or even to just unbutton my shirt, and then drop my pants when the time came.

Were you given a gown or did you receive the exam in your underwear or nude? I never had a gown and was never nude for the entire exam.

Were doctor’s offices more modest with their patients back then or do you think they have become more so now given our modern social sensitivities? There was always privacy for exams but it was assumed that the doctor was going to see and examine everything and there was no concern about whether this bothered you.

Did you (or the general majority of people) wear white underwear - briefs, bra and panties? During the ‘80s, all the boys wore white classic briefs. During the ‘90s, boxers became more fashionable.

Did you have to remove them during the exam? The underpants always came down during the exam, but I never had to completely remove them.

Were you barefoot for your exams or did you wear socks? Were you wearing white socks? I always wore socks. If I went to the exam from school or work, they were dark dress socks. If I came from home, I usually had on white athletic socks.

What clothes, particularly from the style of those decades, did you wear to the doctors office before your exam? If I was coming from school or work, I would have on dress or khaki slacks, a belt, a dress shirt, with or without a necktie, dark socks, and loafers or oxfords. If I was coming from home, I would have on shorts or jeans, a polo shirt, and athletic shoes and white socks.

How were you weighed, in the hallway or in the exam room? Were you weighed in your underwear or fully clothed? My pediatricians’ office had scales in the room. Other offices I went to had scales in the hallway.

Was your temperature taken rectally as an adult? Never.

How would the doctor or nurse instruct you to undress? What did they say? Would the nurse give you instructions ahead of time or wait until the doctor arrived? Did they step out of the exam room while you changed or did they remain? My pediatrician told me to “strip down to your underwear” and stayed in the room asking questions about health and school while I was undressing.

Did more doctors do examinations with gloves on or bare hands? Bare hands even for genitalia and hernia in my pediatricians office, gloves for genital and hernia +/- rectal.

Were the majority of doctors you saw male or female? Male pediatrician, all male adult doctors with one female as the exception.

Did you receive shots in the butt? Rarely

How thorough were genital exams back then? My pediatrician would have me “stand and slip your britches down” and then check the meatus, feel the testes, and “turn your head and cough” for the hernia. I had one exam as a teen, a group exam for sports which I described in my blog pages, when the doctor had us drop our pants and briefs and then he just looked at our genitals. As an adult, I had one exam in which the doctor had me stand on a stool and drop pants and briefs, looked at the penis and scrotum, and had me cough but did not touch me. I have no idea what is to be gained from just looking at the penis and scrotum. The explanation which seems most likely to me, is that there is the subjective sense that a full exam has been done if a man has to drop his underwear.

Did doctors traditionally do a rectal exam before middle age? Never

I was 14 in 1980, so a big part of my teenages were in the 80's, even the military services exams I had were in the 80's ... To me the 80 (as well as the 90's, but mostly the 80's) were years of the end of 'no nonsense' if I can reflect on it from the current moment ...

I'l try to answer the questions as much as possible following the ones that were asked ..

Did you have to undress for the exam? Yes, we had. We had to remove the required clothing according to the exams we had. If our GP came at home (they don't do that anymore that often), you took of your shirt, so it was easy to listen to lungs and heart and to do an abdominal exam.

For school exams, we had to undress to our briefs, boxers, whatever we were wearing as underwear.

With the doctor, the. underwear came off (at least with me that was the case, as they decided I was late to start my development)

During the development follow-up exams, I was naked with the doctor as she always did a full body exam.

Were you given a gown or did you receive the exam in your underwear or nude?

I was never given a gown and always was either in underwear or naked (when required). The gowns that are currently given as standard are just simple paper covers that don't cover a lot, if you ask me ...

If gown, was it a cloth gown or paper gown? Paper and practically useless

Were doctor’s offices more modest with their patients back then or do you think they have become more so now given our modern social sensitivities? I think they are more modest now with the patients. There are doctors that are even reluctant to ask to take off you shirt and try to go underneeth to listen to your heart or lungs ... really unpractical, I think it is...

Did you (or the general majority of people) wear white underwear - briefs, bra and panties?

Most of us had white underwear, although that started to change during the 80's to grey, black, dark blue, etc ...

Did you have to remove them during the exam? Depending on the exams, yes. I did have quite a lot of exams I was naked.

Were you barefoot for your exams or did you wear socks? Were you wearing white socks?

Always barefoot.

What clothes, particularly from the style of those decades, did you wear to the doctors office before your exam?

The normal clothes that we were wearing normally. I didn't have specific clothes to wear to go to the doctor.

How were you weighed, in the hallway or in the exam room? Were you weighed in your underwear or fully clothed?

For school exams and the follow-up exams, I was weighed in the office of the nurse(s)

Was your temperature taken rectally as an adult? At a doctor's office, my temp was never taken rectally.

How would the doctor or nurse instruct you to undress? What did they say? Would the nurse give you instructions ahead of time or wait until the doctor arrived? Did they step out of the exam room while you changed or did they remain?

They asked to undress until underwear, briefs, or, for that matter, please take everything off

What was a visit to the ER or Hospital for a routine surgery like in the 80s and 90s compared to now?

That I don't know as I didn't have surgery back then, so I can't compare.

What I do know that is different is that people tend to go to the ER for things that don't belong there. And at that moment they are taking capacity away that should be spent to people who actually do need it...

Did more doctors do examinations with gloves on or bare hands?

Exams were done with bare hands. the doctor or nurse washed their hands quite long before starting the exam.

Only for rectal exams, I remember that gloves were used during my exams.

Were the majority of doctors you saw male or female? I saw obviously male and female doctors, but the majority actually were already females.

Were the majority of gynecologists back then male or female? Were you comfortable seeing them anyways?

It was already much more a mix between male and femele gynecologists.

Did you receive shots in the butt?

If it were shots she was allowed to give, I got my shots from my mom and mainly in my left upper arm/shoulder.

How thorough were genital exams back then?

The genital exams I did have were almost all quite thorough. Certainly during the development exams as well as during the military services exams I had.

Did doctors traditionally do a rectal exam before middle age?

I did have rectal exams at 21/22 in '87/88

What are some films or tv shows from the 80s and 90s that have good medical scenes in them, that may have attracted your interest?

None that I can remember, but I didn't watch a lot of tv shows back then.

If you had enlisted in the army during the 80s, what was getting the MEP like?

Straightforward, nononsense, quite harsh and exagerated (at least to my feeling at that moment)

At this moment, such exams would be called 'illegal'.

How thorough was it compared to what they do now?

They now also do thorough exams, but doctors or medical staff also have quite some equipment that didn't exist back then.

Scanners only started during the 80's-90's, MRI didn't exist yet (as far as I know), Ultrasound did have it's breakthrough, etc ...

I have the impression that, also because of a mix of different cultures, GP's are a lot more compassionate and modest towards patients then in the 80's-90's. the change towards the current behaviour really started, I think, in the early 2000's ...

My first physical by a lady doctor was in the late 90's. She had me strip naked and put on a paper gown. For the genital and rectal exams, she had me on my back in the lithotomy position with my bottom and my feet near the edge of the exam table and legs spread wide. I could see her face and talk to her as she examined my genitals and inserted her finger for the prostate exam. I enjoyed it very much.

I dont remember ever wearing a gown growing up in the 80s or 90s, but I almost always had to remove my shirt when I saw the doctor (sometimes I even start to do this reflexively now)

Over the years the way doctors have done things have really changed. Compared to when your primary care doctor did everything to now having specialist for everything. Primary Care now no longer can admit patient to a hospital or take care of them after being admitted which really sucks.

I am a lot older than others posting here.

My exams were carried out by my local doctor, school doctor and doctors required for my employment.

All examinations tended to follow the same processes.

I always had a male doctor, with no nurse.

Stripped to the waist with shoes off.

After examine my top half, I was told to drop my trousers. I soon learnt that included my briefs.

So naked when he felt my testicles.

No examination gloves in those days, except for an anal inspection.