Millennials and rectal temps

If someone were to introduce a 20- something individual, to a rectal temperature, how do you think they would react ? Do you think that it would intrigue them, or startle them ?

It would be meaningless because the glass thermometer all but disappeared when a millennial was in grade school.

I think there is a 50/50 chance they the person might not know much about rectal temperatures when growing and might have interest on seeing what a rectal temperature feels like.

A 20- something? Chances are they've probably had one very early on. Forehead thermometers were not on the market yet and ear thermometers were in their infancy. So it's likely that they may have had one at some point in their early childhood. Likely with a digital thermometer and young enough to not remember, but it's still likely that it was done. REintroducing them...now to the willing and open minded individual could be fun.. ?

You all underestimate us. ?

I believe forehead thermometers, a strip that changed colors , was on the market in the early 1990’s.

The tympanic ( ear) thermometer was actually invented in the late 1960’s but did not become “ user friendly “ until the 80’s .

They have been around a lot longer than you think .

As a millennial, I would neither be “intrigued or startled.” I received rectal temperature as a child and as a nursing student, I definitely know all about them. I’ve spoken to many young people on this site who would say the same.

That is just so........ ANAL

@bridgette te Mood rings changed colors too😉

@efun42 , they actually reminded me of mood rings ! ???

Personally, I don't think it's quite the issue that some might believe it is with respect to reluctance, angst and/or outright refusal. There are probably any number of Millennials who've had their rectal temperatures taken. But they don't make it a matter which they choose to discuss.

As far as I know (suppose it could've happened when i was a baby and i dont remember), the first rectal temp reading I received was during a play examination.

Fun, but I strongly prefer getting a finger in there.

I'd be asking them to use a record player and then watching their take on it. I don't think they'd even care how you took their temp so long as they could use their phone! LOL

Insightful. At least your name is appropriate

I'm 24 years old. I'm sure that someone used one on me as a baby, but I don't have any recollection of ever having a rectal thermometer used on me. I'd be pretty weirded out if an actual doctor or nurse suggested one, but it seems pretty standard for play exams.

As stated earlier, try one at colonic therapy.

I'd imagine it would depend on the individual. I don't remember it as a kid, usually the ear. I knew of them from the veterinary side of medicine. Although most vets are now going digital as well.

I believe forehead thermometers, a strip that changed colors , was on the market in the early 1990’s.

Go at least 10 years further back. My parents had one in the early '80s and I remember it being my preferred way to get my temperature taken, even over oral (mouth breather because of congestion, so oral was and is annoying).

Last time I got it was when I was 19. I grew up with that so I would have no problem when someone wants to do, but I guess they are afraid to ask me maybe ^^

Little note: even after the glass thermometer largely felt out of use, people continued taking rectal temperatures with electronic thermometers. My mother purchased one but still enforced rectal as "more reliable". I personally did not like the feeling of the thin, rigid tip of the electronic one and largely continued using the glass one. Nowadays, with the flexible tip, the electronic thermometer feels not so bad.

The electronic thermometer however weakened the rationale for using rectal on young children (I'm not talking babies). An oral temperature with a glass thermometer took minutes, during which the kid had to hold the thermometer under the tongue, without opening the mouth. This is difficult discipline for a young child. In contrast, the rectal thermometer had reliable contact with the core temperature. With an digital thermometer used orally, it is sufficient to wait for a few seconds with the mouth closed and thermometer under the tongue, which is much easier for a young child.

I saw the "band" thermometers but apparently these were really unreliable.

As others have said, there's an element of underestimation here. Younger millennials may never have experienced a rectal temp outside of early infancy (if at all) but there's still, you know, the internet. It doesn't take personal experience to be aware something exists.

So I expect it would go over about as well as it might with anyone else. Better hope they like butt stuff!

I'm surpriced by the answers here, and a bit moved!

If you use millennials (Get Y) as a characterization for people now in 20s and 30s, up to about 40, I think you'd find that a decent percentage of them have experienced rectal temps, though as others have noted it may well have been only when they were very small and too young to remember. With some exceptions, it seems that RT stopped at much earlier ages for Gen Y and later than it did for people like me in Gen X, or those who are older.

I did some medicine cabinet snooping (at friends' or cousins' houses, for example) in the 80s and 90s and still saw rectal thermometers, or even digital ones with "rectal" noted on them with a sticker or piece of tape.

I've done play exams with a fair number of millennials, and while most don't remember getting them, they seem to be ok with getting them and are at least aware that it's a route for taking temperatures. And some have mentioned that they remember that a younger sibling got them, but they don't remember getting them themselves but assume they did.

Certainly other settings where rectal temps might have been used before on older patients - like post-surgery - ear thermometers had already taken hold in the 80s (I had knee surgery in like 1987 and remember my dad making a joke about how they used to take temps in the recovery room when he came back to see me when I got out of surgery and the nurse put the sensor in my ear).

While slightly different, I do think millennials have probably had more consistent experiences with getting suppositories - e.g., for constipation for for Tylenol - while growing up.

I've taken RT on three millennia women. No....make that 4. New experience for all and VERY well received.?

@rangerboy , Would you care to share any of those experiences with us?

There would be a mixed reaction I think. Being both startled and intrigued.

My brothers son , stayed with me for two week when he was age 14. He got sick and asked me if had a thermometer. I told him i had some in the bathroom. I also told him they were not oral and I said he could use one. He was very freaked out over even the idea of a rectal temp. He ended up using it auxiliary. I Never suggested that I take his temp. I never push my fetish on others. He was born in 1998.

I believe most people including millenials have experienced rectal temperatures in infancy. Am I wrong?

The issue is whether they remember them. I barely recall mom doing that to me (save for one occasion later) and maybe only because I've seen it done on younger siblings.

I think it is true to say that most people here in the UK have never had a rectal temperature taken for real !

I think it is true to say that most people here in the UK have never had a rectal temperature taken for real !

What about patients (especially kids) under anaesthesia or just coming out of anaesthesia in the recovery room or back in the ward, AlanC?

Just wondering.

- Ken