Strip Completly during physical exam when younger?

During the 70’s-90’s, most doctors that I went to requested that I strip down to my underwear, during a physical exam, and sometimes only to be examined for a minor illness. I have fortunately, not had to deal with this protocol since switching to another medical practice, in another state. My healthcare is affiliated with a large hospital, where everything is done professionally, and with the patient’s comfort in mind. No grabbing your privates, or sticking things in dark places.

@JMM 's comment reminded me that at my pediatrician's office in the 1970s, you were asked to strip down to your undies for every visit, even if you were ill. I remember this vividly. My mother took me one day because I was very ill and had missed two days of school with a fever and chills. The nurse said "everything off" but my mother had me keep a t shirt on because I was shivering in the exam room and the wait was usually 10-15 minutes. When the doc came in, we both got a lecture.

I suppose he must have listened to my lungs and felt my belly at that exam, but it would not have taken more than a second to lift up my shirt. It certainly would have made a very sick 7 or 8 year old more comfortable. But in the 70s, that was the drill.

I don't remember ever having to take everything off.

When I was a kid, it was tidy whities, and Mom was always in the room. At the end, the doctor would "take a little peek" by lifting the waistband while I was lying down, but that was the extent of it.

As an adult, it was underwear with a paper gown until I was in my early 40s. For those exams, the male doctor would ultimately have me pull down the underwear for the genital/hernia exam, and later for the DRE. But they never came completely off.

The closest I came was my first exam with a female doctor. She had me in a cloth gown with nothing underneath. While she was very thorough, and definitely examined everything, I never actually took the gown off, even when it wasn't covering anything interesting. After that one exam, she retired. Since then, I don't think I've even taken my shirt off for a physical.

I grew up in France, and I was always naked when I went to the doctor’s. I remember when I was 12 I tried to keep my panties on. The nurse had told my mom that I had to get undressed as she left the room to get the doctor. I remember taking my dress and socks off, but I kept my panties on. My mom looked at me like I was asking for trouble. The nurse came back with the doctor and saw me with my panties. She pulled on the elastic band to peek in them, and told my mom "these" will need to come off because she didn’t see hair down there. She pulled them down for me and handed them to my mom.

I remember questioning if I had to get undressed, and pushing back a little when i was around 15. The nurse made a fuss about it, telling me I was going to mess the doctors schedule for the whole day because keeping my panties would delay him. But I kept them. The doctor still had me take them off at the end to examine my genitalia.

As far as I recalled, my mom would be naked as well for her exams.