When you go to the pediatrician for a cold or injury....

I've shared some experiences of mine on this board in the past but I just thought of a question.

I've went to this pediatrician in Massachusetts for sprained ankle when I started wrestling in school. Weird thing was that I had a physical exam with her about 4 months prior.

When I went into the exam room alone as my mom waited outside. The nurse told me to take my shoes and socks off, and wait. Then the old lady doctor came in, and after greeting me with "so you hurt your ankle huh?" and briefly looking at it, she told me to strip down to my briefs, which caught me off guard. She then took a look at the ankle while I was sitting, and pushed in places, and asked me if it hurt. She had me get an X Ray, which I had to walk across the hall into the other room. While the x Ray was getting developed, she did a quick exam of my head and eyes, and then listened to my chest and back while sitting on the table.

She then had me lie down and listened to my abdomen and pushed in areas, I didn't think she was going to examine my genitals, but she put on the latex gloves, and pulled open the briefs in the front and briefly pushed my scrotum with her fingers moving my testicles and rolling them.

She then took the penis and briefly retracted the foreskin, and then put my briefs back. She then told me to get dressed and went out and grabbed my mom, and explained to her that it was a sprain, and gave me some icepacks.

I didn't understand why she gave me a physical exam even though I went there for a sprained ankle. I think I've heard stories where a child goes in for a cold, but ends up stripping. Is this standard practice?

This is not the normal practice. Doctors are in a hurry these days, and they neglect physicals. They shouldn't.

In this case, it was a great idea for you. Boys especially are embarrassed to admit that they have injuries in more sensitive areas. The doctor did a good job looking over the whole body. The genital exam is very important when boys are developing. Were you going through puberty at the time? It's important to make sure the foreskin is still retracting as the penis grows during puberty. And of course it's always good to check the testes at that age.

I had an experience where I went to the doctor for a sore throat and was brought right into the exam room without the usual wait. Without even getting on the table or closing the door she asked my parents to have a seat and began touching my throat. She had me open my mouth and said that just as she had suspected I had an infection in my throat. She wrote a prescription for an antibiotic and handed it to my parents. It seemed that was the end of the visit until she casually says "just hop up on the table so i can check your cough real quick". She began stething me under my shirt asking me to "take deep breaths" and cough. She then casually palpated my underarms and asked me to lay back. She lifted my shirt up to my chest and pressed into my stomach several time all the while making small talk about the weather with my parents. All of a sudden I felt her finger tips slide under the elastic band of my sweat pants. She paused her conversation for a moment and said "would you be okay if we take a quick peek" In a panic I paused and uttered "okay" she then lifted the band about 6 inches away from my body glaring at my privates and then when I thought it was all over she slid my pants and underwear to mid thigh leaving me speechless with my erect dick in plain sight dripping.

Pretty much any visit to my ped ended up being a complete exam. Sore throat? Strip to briefs (pretty always did that) and by the end they were off and my dick/nuts was being checked

When I was 11 I developed rash (possibly hives) associated with a cold. Kids in school can contract several strains of flu and so my dad brought me to the doctor. It was bad enough he bringing me, but when the rash was discovered on my belly and pelvic areas.. the doctor got concerned and had me strip off my panties!... He took a vaginal culture and also placed a paper strip up my hiney to test stool contamination. I had already removed my shirt so he could listen with the stethescope so there I was upon the table wearing only my shoes and socks!

My embarrassment was further exacerbated by my dad's presense and it was one doctor visit I could have done without.

As a teenager, whenever i went for any kind of medical appointment, the dr would read my medical record an i knew that once he or she read about my undescended testicle operation that i had at the age of 12, i will end up on the exam table with my pants and underwaer down to my ankles and the dr palpating my testicles. some of them, sort of asked for my permision to check it and others just did it without asking. i do remember trying to refuse once when i was 16 but my dad who was in the room with me as always, convinced me to let it go.

Same here my doctor growing up would always check my privates even if just seing him for something basic difference was for a physical dr would have me undress from the start for just a visit he would undo my pants pull my underwear out and just look or feel my testicals

My doctor would always just do quick peeks.

This happened to me twice; both ended up with genital exams. The first time I was 12 and had chicken pox. I didn't think I would have to strip for that exam, but my doctor wanted to check for pox marks that were under my clothes so I ended up completely undressing for that. Once my underwear was off, she did a quick genital exam. Being only 12 it was just a quick hernia check, retracting my foreskin and briefly checking my testicles.

The second time I was 15. my twin sister and I were sick with what turned out to be strep throat. My doctor wanted to check all my lymph nodes, including those in my groin. When she got down to that region she said that, since she was already checking down there she wanted to take a quick peek at my genitals since I had a tight foreskin at my physical. So she grabbed the waste band, pulled them off and did a full genital exam. That was also the only time post puberty that any of my siblings were in the room at the same time I received a genital exam. I would have protested to my sister being in the room at the start had I known the genital exam was coming.

In Italy it is unlikely that the pediatrician asks you to get completely naked. Much less often, but it never happened, which raises the family doctor.

Interesting stories at the pediatrician. My doctors were less thorough.

Back in the 70's and early 80's every time my Mother would take me to the doctors he would always no matter what check my genitals and always examine me.

The first genital exam I remember was when I was five. I had chicken pox and as it ended up I got them in the urethra. Taking a pee was to say the least painfull.

The way my pediatrician operated was that if I had not been to see him for a physical within a year, he would do a physical if I needed attention for an illness. This did not happen very often since I played sports and would almost always see him for a sports physical at least once a year. This seems like an appropriate strategy to me. It also created tremendous anxiety if I had to see him for a sinus or ear infection that I might get a full exam. I was always tense waiting to see if I was told to strip to my underwear or stay dressed in the exam room.

My pediatrician would almost every time get me undressed and checked my penis and testicles.

No matter for what I saw her.

At my peds office growing up, I only got what I came there for. if I went for a wart then the wart got looked at and dealt with and that was it. and went I went in for having ear problems they looked at my ears and that was it. I was never told to put gown on for simple things like that it was always look at the problem areas and that was it

I also grew up in greater Boston. Your doctor's approach seems like overkill. If I was there for my annual physical I stripped down. If I had contracted bronchitis I had to take off my shirt. If I busted my hand (I did) after I punched a wall I got fitted for a cast and got a dose of thunder/therapy session from my doctor.

Doubt that it is standard practice anymore but when I was a kid, it was routine for me to have to undress to my underpants when going to the doctor when I was sick. Didn't get a full physical exam but had to undress just like I was getting one. Guess it was easier for the doctor for patients to already be undressed rather than have to take off my shirt and undershirt after he came into the room. When I was younger, rectal temps were also routine so my jeans and underpants were coming down anyway before the doctor arrived. Don't think that nurses and doctors gave kids and parents much credit for knowing what was wrong with them and a doctor would rather be safe than sorry in examining a patient. Assume that doctors gave nurses standard instructions that all pediatric patients needed to be stripped down as soon as they were taken back to an exam room.

In post 2, perkins2505 notes that doctors are always in a hurry these days. True enough. However, the OP was writing of a doctor visit in his teens, and his profile shows he is now in his 40s. So his post is probably about something that happened in the early 1980s. So it may not be fair to assess by today's norms or experiences.

When I was either 16 or 17 in late June only a month or so after my annual physical exam I went on a camping trip and developed a rash on my ankle we thought may have been poison ivy. I wanted to let it get better on its own but my parents insisted the doctor evaluate in case it needed to be treated with an ointment. I arrived at the office on my own and was a little uncomfortable to be back so soon after my last exam which was intense to say the least. I signed in and waited in the waiting area wearing gray sweats and a black t shirt. It was 9am in the morning and I was the only patient in the office-most of the staff were still walking in. The nurse brought me to the first room in the hall and said we will get you in and out today. I had never been in this room before but it was much smaller than the others (maybe 6x10 feet). Unlike the other exam rooms there was no chair so I had to wait on the examining table. Within a minute the doctor walked in and was very high energy-"what brings us in today" "how is your summer" I was a little uncomfortable still thinking back to the humiliation I endured 3 weeks earlier. I lifted the leg of my sweats to show her the rash. She replied "nothing to worry about you will be back camping in no time!" "this will be a very quick visit today do you want me to bring mom in so we can go over everything with her." I told her I came alone. She replied "ok great hop back up on the table but first just remove your socks and slide down your sweats." I sat with my legs extended forward sitting upright on the table in my tighty whities. She placed her hands very flat and glided up and down my legs explaining that the rash was not poison ivy but an allergic reaction so I would not need any ointments. Next she said "lets have you lay back." I rested my back down against the table she walked closer over to my face and asked "have you noticed redness or bumps anywhere besides your leg?" I replied no. She replied "ok good" as she placed her top hand on the top of my elastic waistband and slowly pulled out and down. In a state of shock I instinctively looked away from her and up at the ceiling. My semi-hard penis and balls sprung out. She acted like nothing and continued the conversation now directing her focus on my groin and no longer my face. I felt the palm of her right hand pressing under my balls as her left hand went from tapping into my pubic area gently squeezing my glans as she casually said "ok I have a feeling this will resolve itself in the next week but if it doesn't we will order an allergy test ok?" I murmured ok. She replied "ok great its a plan" as she pulled my underwear back up. There was a knock at the door. She waited as I got dressed back into my sweats and answered it was the nurse. She said he is all set we just took a quick look so no charge for today.

The only time I’ve had something similar to this happen was when I had to go to a new doctor. I was sick, I believe it ended up being the flu, and my regular doctor couldn’t see me. I had to go to a new doctor, but they had to conduct a “new patient evaluation,” which was basically a head to toe physical. It wasn’t thrilled about it at the time, but it kind of made sense.

I had to go to a new doctor, but they had to conduct a “new patient evaluation,” which was basically a head to toe physical. It wasn’t thrilled about it at the time, but it kind of made sense.

@Brooke_Lynn

Could you describe what happened during the exam? Did you know it would be a full exam before you got there? We’re you allowed to remain fully clothed or did you have to wear a gown? Did they conduct a breast, genital, or rectal exam?

In the latter 1970's a lot of MD's began to put " INC " on their door name plates. This resulted in 30--45 minutes "waiting" to be seen followed by a whirlwind 5-10 minute "exam" with little discussion on health issues. Then it was out the door and the next assembly----line part came in..

@gatorwrestler

It was basically a head to toe exam. I was asked to remove my outer clothes but allowed to keep on my bra, panties, and socks. I wasn’t given a gown. The doctor didn’t examine my breast beyond a quick feel underneath and a quick look under my bra (by pulling it away, but not off). Also, I was not given a genital or rectal exam, beyond just a quick peek.

I think I've heard stories where a child goes in for a cold, but ends up stripping. Is this standard practice?

When I was taken to the doctors when I was five because I had a cold I was expecting to just take my t-shirt off and have the doctor listen to me as they had done when I had gone before. Instead they asked my parents "could you strip him down to his underpants for me please?". I was then down to my briefs in front of my mother and big brother while they took my height and weight, did ear, eyes, nose and throat checks, reflex checks and then stethed me all over. They also let me listen to my heart and tummy with their stethoscope.

It also created tremendous anxiety if I had to see him for a sinus or ear infection that I might get a full exam. I was always tense waiting to see if I was told to strip to my underwear or stay dressed in the exam room.

Similar to me, it didn't always happen that I had a full exam but from then on it was going into the unknown when I went to the doctors. Sometimes just taking my shirt off for them to listen to my heart, lungs or tummy or sometimes going down to my undies in front of one of my mum mor dad and also my older brother. Also for my brother when I went along to the doc with him, sometimes just top off and sometimes down to his boxers.

When I would go to the pediatrician as a child and as a teenager, a female nurse would take me into a room and have me strip down to my white briefs or remove all of my clothes. I would sit on an exam table to wait for the doctor to come in. At times medical staff members would come into the room to get medical supplies from cabinets, and I would feel embarrassed when they would look at my body when I was sitting and waiting for the doctor to come into the room. Sometimes the female nurse would use a rectal thermometer to take my temperature before the doctor came into the room, and when that happened I would feel embarrassed. If I was feeling apprehensive, my anus would tighten up when the thermometer was inserted and I would become passive and hide the pain that I was experiencing. During my teen years, I began to crave the pain and pleasure that I would feel when a thermometer was inserted in my anus and the female nurse's hand was resting on my bare bottom, especially if she was good looking and busty. I would talk about this with male friends my own age, and they all reported wearing white briefs or being nude at the pediatrician's office. Sometimes I had a family member with me in the room, but during my teen years I preferred to be in a room without a family member. When the pediatrician was a woman, she would bring a female nurse into the room and I would feel self conscious and vulnerable when nude or only wearing white briefs. Feel free to message me or chat with me if you would like to discuss medical experiences.

This happened quite often to me as well. The most embarrassing time was when I was a senior in high school and developed a high fever. The doctor was being shadowed by a female medical student who attended the college that I would be attending in the fall. My pediatrician was upset that I hadn't taken my clothes off. She asked how I expected her to examine me with my clothes on. Then she tugged on the hem of my shirt and said, "take this off." I took off my shirt and she examined me. I thought that I had escaped any examination of my genitals. All of a sudden, she ordered me to hop down from the table. She grabbed the waistband of my sweatpants and underwear, and pulled both down to the middle of my thighs. I was exposed in front of both women. She mentioned that she just wanted to be sure that everything was okay down there. I received both a genital exam and hernia check. I was highly embarrassed at the time, but I now find it very arousing.

It was a given, seeing the doctor always meant having to undress to my underwear regardless of the nature of the visit. Mom was there to see that I did as I was told and remained in the room to answer all questions. The process was consistent each time; a urine sample and being weighed/measured. The obligatory BP and rectal temperature surely made me aware that my protests or dawdling were of no use. Lying there while it registered felt like forever, with questions asked of my mother while the nurse made sure I didn't reject the thermometer. Physicals meant removing my underwear; it was just a question of when.

Mid to late teen years meant probing of anus and vagina. By then, mom was no longer present unless I misbehaved. Shots were most often provided in my bottom; usually lying on my belly but also done with me leaning over onto the table. It was during this time when I began to focus more on the psychological feelings I had seeing the doctor. I became more aware of how others seemed to look just sitting in the waiting room and totally curious about what happened behind the exam room door. After each exam, there was the KY reminder between my cheeks and a dull ache in my buttock. So much for getting a sticker!

I've posted this before. When I was young my pediatrician always wanted me to be nude. Starting with the nurse I had to strip completely from before I was weighed until he finished with me. It was embarrassing and humiliating too.

Whenever I went to my pediatrician, no matter what it was for, I had to strip down to just my briefs and my socks. Certainly full physicals started out that way, but even if I had a cold, or a sprained ankle - did not matter what for - everything came off except my briefs and socks. And most times, even if it was not for a physical, my briefs came off at the end so the doctor could examine my balls. After puberty started my pediatrician said that boys were at risk for testicular cancer and so he felt that since I was already there, might as well examine my testicles. I know boys who went to other doctors who got the same treatment.