DRE and prostate exams in the military

I have read (where, i don't recall) that physical exams of guys in the us military include a visual rectal inspection. but i've also read (again, can't remember where) that a full dre and prostate exam can be required for men over 40 or are entering specialized units.

i'm curious to know at what age does/if the full rectal exams start and what special units also require them. would also be interested in hearing personal experiences with full rectal exams in the military from those that went through them or administered them.

Drafted into US Army 1964. I remember being checked for, hernia. That is all, down that way. But they were highly alert to my dental condition and had my wisdom teeth pulled 8 months after Basic Training, while i was unaware i had a problem of any kind, till the day i was ordered to the dentist office, right out of the clear blue.

During Basic, we had one man with a bleeding hemorrhoid. He was fitted with a Kotex pad and we marched on.

I actually wore prosthesis in both of my shoes. I could not walk a quarter mile without them, and we marched on.

We had one man that was almost a midget. We marched on till the day he broke an arm.

We had 3 people that were certifiable crazy, at least 3, not counting myself. And we marched on.

During our Basic Training, we lost 3 men and one Drill Sergent ( a super hero to us ). That counts about 2%.

Probably 10% were physically injured, but we marched on.

Oh, and they made it appear we were all nearly killed and the majority feared a square needle in the dick. I for one was watching for it and had made up my mind, there was no way in hell.

I enlisted in 1980 and it wasn't done as part of the induction physical. We were checked for hernias and visually examined for hemorrhoids or any other external issues.

After boot camp and on board ship I never heard it ever mentioned by anyone who had went to sickbay, but then again I doubt if anyone would have said anything about having it done. I would imagine if it needed to be done as part of a examination it would have been done just like in the civilian world.

@lzrd I love your description of marching on. Besides the obvious medical issues such as a hernia, if you were warm, you were fit for duty and if cold they buried you. God bless the army.

OK, I was a Corpsman in the Navy. At MEPS, you get a visual for hemorrhoids after the hernia and genital check. (Of course, you're in a room lined up with about 20 guys) For a normal exam, yes, over 40 it was automatic. The clinic I was in, SOP was EVERY male, regardless of age, gets a genital and DRE for an annual physical. (We also did them nude) DRE's were also done for stomach problems, and back pain, and while we were in the neighborhood, we'd do a genital check.

@DocTemplar, at which clinic were you stationed (geographic area in general). who made the decision to have all physicals done in the nude?

@doctors office, that was at the Subbase, New London, CT. I don't know who established the policy, but it was more efficient. It only applied to full physicals, but since we had a couple of oddball school (Submarine School and Nuclear Power School specifically) they were very complete.

Oh, and they made it appear we were all nearly killed and the majority feared a square needle in the dick. I for one was watching for it and had made up my mind, there was no way in hell.

Can you explain a square needle in the dick, please ?

I have written about this elsewhere.

I was not in the military but I grew up in the post WW2, Korea, and ongoing Vietnam War era when there were lots of former military doctors in private practice.

My father, a WW2 veteran himself, had such a doctor himself. And when it came time for my pre-college physical exam at the end of my senior year of high school, instead of going to my pediatrician my father took me to his doctor for that physical exam.

As we got into the exam room my father informed me that I was to strip down completely naked because this was to be a "man's exam".

The examination was very thorough and it did end with a rectal/prostate exam, my first, but not my last, as this doctor seemed to like giving them lol.

Fast forward into this century, in a school setting I worked with students, mostly boys, interested in the military, either one or more of the academies, and/or ROTC. The boys seemed to get a kick out of comparing their physical exams and one day I had five of them in my office and they were sharing the details of their physical exams. Three of the boys got the visual inspection of their anus, I guess checking for hemorrhoids, but two of them got the finger wave and seemed to enjoy telling the other guys about that.

DRE's were also done for stomach problems, and back pain, and while we were in the neighborhood, we'd do a genital check.

This is interesting. I worked at a boarding school for a while and one of my responsibilities was to bring the boys to the school doctor for anything beyond what our infirmary nurse could handle. Anyone complaining about some sort of stomach or digestive issue got a rectal exam. I do not know if the doctor went all the way in for a prostate exam.

And as for myself, in my mid/late 20s I was having some severe back problems and my grandfather offered to take me to his doctor who had helped him with his bad back. His doctor was an osteopath which I, in my ignorance, thought was a chiropractor. The exam started off as a chiropractor might, lots of stretching and checking for range of motion and even a few adjustments but the exam quickly morphed into a regular full physical exam which ended with the doctor giving me a prostate exam. I did not know at the time but apparently prostate cancer can manifest itself as severe back pain.

Every MEPs forum and many MEPs providers have all said that these days, male patients at MEPs only get a visual examination of their anus. The provider does do a physical check of the genitals, checking for any abnormalities and ensuring there is no hernia present.

These days from what I can gather, these exams are done entirely in private.

@TightyWhiteisNow. The square needle is a fabrication to scare new recruits. Someone came up with it ages ago, and it's still floating around out there.

I joined the military in 1971. I experienced both the visual inspection; and then was called into a room with a doc and a female nurse for a very thorough digital prostate exam and genital penis and testicle examination. I learned quickly to closely read military medical history questions!

In my country, Brazil, only physical exams are performed, there is no prostate exam or rectal exam.

I joined the military in 1971. I experienced both the visual inspection; and then was called into a room with a doc and a female nurse for a very thorough digital prostate exam and genital penis and testicle examination. I learned quickly to closely read military medical history questions!

Was that your first prostate exam ?

And what did you misread on the medical history ?

We had DRE as the last part of a full genital exam in the military.

I know the original question was about the us military, but we did, or I did for sure (as I'm assuming we all did) also have a complete physical including a thorough genital exam and DRE.

"Pa patients "

it is funny that in 1971, you had both visual examination (which was common in most of the countries and often petformed without privacy like it seems tto be the case for you ?) and a thorough genital and rectal exam in an other room in private but with a doctor assisted by a female nurse

I find surorising but amusing also the fact that it was not a male nurse but a female nurse who assisted the doctor for that part very intimate of the military exam

What do women in the military have to go through? Gyn exams? DRE? Are these just like entrance exams or regular episodes?

@PApatient. Did they see something on the visual?