Times, they are a changin'

And not necessarily for the better in you're a medfetter.

For most of us, I think that part of the appeal of medfet is not just the exposure, vulnerability, submission, and pleasant humiliation, but also the gentle and intimate touch of another human being. Unfortunately, that seems to be going away in many cases.

I once again experienced this firsthand during my last doctor visit. When it came time to take my temperature, the nurse used one of those digital infrared laser thermometers, that don't even touch the skin. I mentioned to her how much quicker and safer that must be, she agreed 100%.

So yes, times are definitely a changin'. While advances in modern medicine have made great strides in patient privacy, dignity, and safety, I can't also help but think about how much of the human factor has been lost in the transition- especially for medfetters.

I agree. There is definitely a lack of touch going on and then when you are touched it is through clothing or a gown, and at my last physical the only time I was exposed at all was during the genital and rectal exams which my doctor seemed to get done as quickly as she could.

Some friends of mine tell me that unless they're due for the pap smear or specifically request it, they don't even get looked at between their legs during their annual and it's pretty much them braless in panties under the gown and the most intimate thing they get is a quick breast exam. I still get the works every year, so, maybe I'm just seeing an "old school" office that is set in their ways -- but, I've definitely heard from others, especially mothers, that even their late teens/20s daughters are getting less and less exams during their gyno stuff than they did at their age.

Most people dont like being touched. The new digital age is making it easier to gather information without the need. Providers also don't have the time they need to actually spend time with their patients. Its easier to throw a pill at people and check the issue again in a couple months than to try and figure out the issue. My gyn office makes appoitments every three years now. They said there is no longer a requirement for a yearly pap. So i would agree times are very much changing.

I agree with everyone that, as far as medfet is concerned, it isn't what it used to be.

... at my last physical the only time I was exposed at all was during the genital and rectal exams ...

However, I would say that these are the two main areas that contribute to my medfet enjoyment. I would love to get this much exposure and examination. It's been years since I've had to stand up and drop 'em. At this point, I don't think I would complain at all if that was the only time I was exposed.

It’s a good thing for the healthcare industry and the patient. It’s eliminated invasive and embarrassing procedures, and reduces wait times. Of course, it’s done nothing to lower costs to consumers.

It’s a good thing for the healthcare industry and the patient. It’s eliminated invasive and embarrassing procedures, and reduces wait times. Of course, it’s done nothing to lower costs to consumers.

@JJM I have to disagree. It isn't good for the patient when they start cutting corners. I am in my late 20's which means I have a higher risk of testicular cancer. Fortunately my current doctor gives me that exam during my annual physical. Yeah, it feels a little awkward but given a choice of a few moments of getting my junk fondled by my attractive female doctor or a cancer diagnosis the choice is clear.

I am starting a new job in a new city in a couple of weeks. I like my current doctor and I will miss her. She is very competent with a nice personality to go along with it. When I find a new doctor I shouldn't have to ask him/her for that exam (or any other normal procedure exams for that matter) especially for a new patient physical.

The day will come when a full body imaging system may come along where a full body scan will be less invasive and more accurate so an actual physical exam will be rendered obsolete. Until that time I will stick with getting a complete physical on a yearly basis.

Been living in the US over 26 years never had an examination ever when I have even had to remove any clothing even my shirt. It’s always, blood work vitals and unless I am ill never anything else.

I’ve read the news about the DRE being phased out as it’s proven 99% ineffective, if you have a high PSA and/or symptoms of a prostste issue they will recommend imaging and avoid now the prostate biopsy. I’ve never ever had a check for a hernia never, I guess it’s symptomatic.

The U.S. healthcare system as a whole has become the absolute worst. The older practitioners understood the importance of good, honed, diagnostic skills (a.k.a. physical examination). They didn't have all of these technologies many years ago so they had to rely on precise physical examination skills. Nowadays, every little ailment is referred for a computerized diagnostic test or a speciality service. The U.S. healthcare system needs to get back to the basics of healthcare.

I see it here in where I live with the closing of clinics in the smaller rural area's. One major medical health care system (corporation) is closing clinics saying it is do to staffing issues and that they can provide their patients with better care at their bigger clinics. I personally think it has more to do with their profits. It cost money to run the smaller clinics to keep them open. The doctor's they have in the smaller clinics will be reassigned to the larger clinics, some will more than likely retire, some might leave. But with the ones that stay and go to the other couple of larger clinics they will be able to push more patients through their larger clinics with less overhead, thus make more money. The clinic I go to is one that is closing, personally it won't affect me as much as some. I drive and can get to the larger clinics. But the elderly people and the ones that don't drive, or can't drive are now going to have a problem getting health care. So I don't think it's has so much to do with providing better health care or providing for their patients needs, it's about them making more money. I am not saying there are not good doctors, nurses and health care providers out there. But the larger health care systems are motivated by money, the faster they can you out the door, the faster they can get the next customer in. It's become big business in today's world.

I think some of the changes are positive. Medfet stuff aside, doctors can still be thorough while being more mindful of patient modesty/privacy in the real world. It’s not a zero sum game. You can do both. The biggest reason for a lack of thoroughness in medicine today (in the US specifically) is how big healthcare systems maximize profits by shortening appointment times so doctors can see more patients every day.

A friend recently brought this up tangentially. Her son had his annual physical. She remembered boys in her school growing up complaining about being totally undressed at the end for the genital exam. She commented that she was surprised to see the pediatricians office offer him a gown at the start of his physical. They still did the genital exam at the end. But she wasn’t expecting that from what she had heard boys physicals were like.

I suspect what we have here (the concern that doctors are less thorough) is akin to people my parent’s age believing bad tasting medicine was more effective. If it’s too easy then you’re not ‘getting your money’s worth.’

The simple fact is that disease is being recognized earlier and treated more effectively than at any time in human history.

Even nowadays, in France you have much more chances to get in your undies at the Dr (without gown) than in the US.

But sooner or later, the future of medicine is labs and imaging with AI doing the diagnostic.

I think there are a number of factors which have contributed to the decline of the actual physical exam:

Firstly the significant advancement of medical imagining technology is gradually making the reliance of a physical examination less clinically significant. As structures/organs cannot always be palpated effectively in the more obese patients whereas diagnostic imagining ( CT (CAT US), MRI , Ultrasound) can provide a more detailed often three dimensional image.

Medical schools are placing greater emphasis on the use of medical imagining for diagnostic and treatment interventions. Speaking to a number of medical students, their curriculum has changed significantly from those of their older counterparts . It's moving away from knowledge-focused, lecture-based models to outcome-based, technologically advanced, and patient-centered training. One of the most significant advancements in medical education has been the widespread adoption of simulation-based training. In traditional medical education, students often had their first experiences with procedures on actual patients - a “see one, do one, teach one” approach that carried inherent risks.

The US based medical model with its insurance based reliance on a paid approach to healthcare. There seems to be significant reliance on technology and lab work rather than physical exam like mammography compared to breast exams . Also more and more guidelines are being based on medical research for example 3 yearly PAPs compared to yearly.

Also the fear of litigation particularly in the US has increased the used of technology, especially image based scans (CT MRI, Ultrasounds X-rays etc.) as stated a physical exam/palpation can miss abnormalities easily.

@Nurse_Phillips You make a very interesting point here. I had the impression, growing up, that people had this idea (perhaps not fully consciously) that the more unpleasant the medicine was to take (e.g., injection more than suppository more than pills more than syrup), the more efficient it was. There may be this lingering idea that if an examination is cumbersome, unpleasant or intrusive, it must be better, right?

I think there are a number of factors which have contributed to the decline of the actual physical exam:

Firstly the significant advancement of medical imagining technology is gradually making the reliance of a physical examination less clinical significant. As structures/organs cannot always be palpated effectively in the more obese patients whereas diagnostic imagining ( CT (CAT US), MRI , Ultrasound) can provide a more detailed often three dimensional image.

Medical schools are placing greater emphasis on the use of medical imagining for diagnostic and treatment interventions. Speaking to a number of medical students, their curriculum has changed significantly from those of their older counterparts . It's moving away from knowledge-focused, lecture-based models to outcome-based, technologically advanced, and patient-centered training. One of the most significant advancements in medical education has been the widespread adoption of simulation-based training. In traditional medical education, students often had their first experiences with procedures on actual patients - a “see one, do one, teach one” approach that carried inherent risks.

The US based medical model with its insurance based reliance on a paid approach to healthcare. There seems to be significant reliance on technology and lab work rather than physical exam like mammography compared to breast exams . Also more and more guidelines are being based on medical research for example 3 yearly PAPs compared to yearly.

Also the fear of litigation particularly in the US has increased the used of technology, especially image based scans (CT MRI, Ultrasounds X-rays etc.) as stated a physical exam/palpation can miss abnormalities easily.

All excellent points.

Cars are almost kind of the same way. Instead of going through a battery of diagnostic tests, you simply plug in a hand held scanner the interfaces with the car's ECM and the car practically tells you what's wrong with it.

@RN1993 Oh dear god! You have hit most of my downfall points of modern medicine. Speaking from someone in the healthcare industry for the past 25 years, there has been a drastic decline in the personal aspect of medicine and a drastic uptake in the checking boxes to get paid and not sued, at least in US healthcare. I loathe CMS and insurance companies for the absolutely detatched approach that they take to personal health, despite their significant endorsement of it. Unfortunately, now a days everyone is only out for one thing... $$$$. Everything else is trival to them.

Butt, on the other hand....

i'm a critical care nurse in a hospital. While there are always new, and it seems ever changing ways we assess, medicate and intervene, there's still things that might encourage some in this side of the population. Just off the cuff, i have few random thought.

i give a thorough exam to all of my patients twice every 12 hour shift (pretty sure i've posted the details on other threads, and i'm tucked i bed and too lazy to re-write it after finishing my rotation last night). There's lots of touch... auscultation of lungs, heart and ab. Touching/palpating the abdominal area is pretty common too, we get tons of patients with intestinal conditions, checking for hernia, ascites. Heart failure is also very common, and touching is very crucial in assessing edema, arms, legs, abdomen.

Neuro is part of all my assessments, and if a person has had a stroke or TIA, they get an NIH stroke evaluation every 2 hours for 12 hours after admission, then every 4 hours for twelve, then every shift after. But even sans stroke, i do a neuro check that involves the patinet squeezing my hands and my touching their feet, along with palpating pulses on all extremities. Not uncommon to not get a pedal pulse (on the foot) and have to go to the groin for a pulse.

Oh, and molasses enemas are still very effective and common.

And lastly, i'll add the temperature sensing foley catheter... pretty intrusive.

https://www.medline.com/media/catalog/Docs/MKT/BRO_TempSensing_FNL_DYN8948.pdf

Speaking for myself, medfet allows a more "personal" touch that I don't get at a regular office.

I feel actually seen in and examined and heard if done right.

I won't see it, but I think when the time comes, we'll be examined in medical pods. Something like: undress, step in, lay back or lay down and then the machine does all the checking, probing inserting, auscultating and so on ...

From a medfet pov, I suspect that you could get just as much a thrill stepping into a med pod as disrobing for a human doctor. And there would be no cause for complaining about lack of modesty by being nude and all that modern jazz. It's just a machine, like stepping into a shower, but more complicated.

But you that depending on what ails you or because of how future technology works, you might very well be getting an anal probe to assess your digestive ailments, or a urethral sounding for bladder problems. I can imagine that the better models of medpods allow you options to choose a specific voice for instance. I for one would love to have Dr. Dana Scully guiding me through and issuing orders ...

@RN1993 Oh dear god! You have hit most of my downfall points of modern medicine. Speaking from someone in the healthcare industry for the past 25 years, there has been a drastic decline in the personal aspect of medicine and a drastic uptake in the checking boxes to get paid and not sued, at least in US healthcare. I loathe CMS and insurance companies for the absolutely detatched approach that they take to personal health, despite their significant endorsement of it. Unfortunately, now a days everyone is only out for one thing... $$$$. Everything else is trival to them.

The enshitification of everything over the past decade has caused a decline in quality assurance across the board in pretty much every service, trade, or sale. Unfortunately that includes modern medicine and healthcare. And to add more to what @RN1993 is saying, we've seen for years now how "specialized" everything has become. You get referred to a specialist or written a prescription for a commercial drug with some fucked up name like skyglizzy for any problem you have while physicians have basically become pharmaceutical notaries or have taken to Youtube to build up a personal brand in virtual telehealth consulting. But specialization is something we've seen across all work industries for awhile not just in medicine, and now with the rise of new technology for imaging and AI, we're seeing even further atomization of "skilled labor" and "specialized work" leaving physicians to have to find a niche. This is just my two cents, with limited experience in healthcare as a patient or generally in life, but take it for what it is. This is actually something I've thought about writing some kind of paper on, maybe call it my "Zity University" thesis lol.

I agree with the OP that the “hands on” exam is a setback for many medfetters. Hopefully most separate their medfet from real medical treatment. As far as medical quality, diagnostic accuracy, and overall patient care we are far better treated with the newer technology and medical approach. It’s a small price to pay for the medfetters who miss the excitement during real medical exams to get the best medical care we’ve ever had.

As a family who has experienced multiple critical medical complications, the advancements in imagery and diagnostics have resulted in life saving procedures and discovered issues that would not have been detected or isolated without them.

Here's my two cents. I don't think one should confuse Medfet interests with state of the art medical practices. That said, there are docs who still give "full exams" or modified exams depending on what is to be determined.

That's certainly true, and I think it's a positive development.

If you're ill or have a medical problem, you primarily want a competent doctor who can cure you quickly.

And yes, I remember that as a small child, fever was sometimes measured rectally (now with a meter on the forehead, and your temperature is known in a second).

For flu or bronchitis, antibiotic injections in the gluteal region were almost always necessary (now there are much better pills for this, and prescribing antibiotics is even strongly discouraged).

A prostate exam is performed using a simple blood test, etc.

The only thing that may still be administered occasionally are suppositories, simply because they are less taxing on the stomach.

And even during gynecological examinations, I've heard from several ladies (thanks for this) on this forum that it's long since been the case that women are required to undress completely.

In fact, the male gynecologist profession, especially here in Belgium, is under increasing pressure.

Recently, there was a huge uproar about a male gynecologist who clearly overstepped his bounds. Initially, three women filed a complaint, but since this made the news on TV, 200 complaints have already been received

. There are strong calls for a male gynecologist to be assisted by a female nurse, and the examination should be conducted under very strictly defined rules.

Still (and thankfully), there will always be many people with a medical fetish. I've noticed a growing number of young women with a healthy interest in it.

This perhaps explains the continued success of a forum like zity and the ever-growing number of play doctors.