Dermatology patient position

Has anyone been placed in or asked to assume an unusual position by their dermatologist for an examination or procedure involving an intimate area?

Not me. I went to my first derm appointment this year. The PA had me stand up then lifted my boxer leg openings, check what she could see. I was prepared for a complete screening. She asked if I had anything for her to look at ‘ down there‘. It caught me off guard so while I was thinking about what to do next she simply said, “No?”. Then she got ready to freeze things she didn’t like. So no odd positions. Next year I will be prepared by saying ‘ Isn’t the point of seeing you for you to look and tell me?’

What would be an unusual position ? 😄

I guess I'm gonna answer ‘no’ as the position I was asked to take was on my belly for back and buttocks check, and on my back for… all the rest. And I stood on this back when ‘down there’ was on the line. So nothing unusual I guess.

@Runner_Up were you wearing a gown while on your belly?

What would be an unusual position ?

I would like to be placed in something like this https://services.gehealthcare.com/gehcstorefront/p/00-881069-02-OEC to expose my perineum.

@Runner_Up were you wearing a gown while on your belly?

Gowns are very rare in France in private practices. They are offered only in hospitals.

The whole body inspection I was in my underwear (black boxer), that I only took down (without removing) when it came to inspecting my private areas 😄

Well, for the buttock, the doctor took it down enough to see what had to be seen, and moved it back. And for the front, she asked me to take it down. And I put it back once every thing got checked.

Two different dermatologists that I have seen recently both asked me for my medical history, then asked me to remove my shirt. They then scanned my head, face, neck, arms, chest and back. They then tell me to put my shirt back on and remove my pants, BUT LEAVE YOUR UNDERWEAR ON! I ignore the shirt request and remove my pants and socks to show I am not wearing underwear. I am now 100% nude in her exam room. She usually sighs and rushes thru the rest of the exam. One Doc had me sit back on the exam table that is set up like a large chair, lean back and lift my penis, then scrotum. One time she left the room and came back with a black light (or is it a blue light?) and scanned my perineum area for several minutes while talking to me. That was weird.

I don't know that it's actually an unusual position, but it sure felt awkward and embarrassing during the exam. My former dermatologist would move my legs and put me in the frog leg position, one side at a time.

The medical assistant would instruct me to undress completely and wear the cloth gown with the opening in the back. She always returned with the doctor for the exam. With me sitting on the table, the MA on my left side and the doctor on the right, they would spread open the back of my gown and check my back. I was then instructed to lie back as they would both lower my gown to my waist and extend the leg rest to examine my arms, chest, and abdomen. With the top of my gown still piled on my waist, the doctor would then fold the right side of my lower gown on top of my genitals, exposing my right leg, hip, and waist/groin. So basically now, the only part of me covered by the gown is my left thigh and hip as well as the top of my genitals. If you were directly above me looking down, you wouldn't be able to see my genitals. However, from the bottom or right side of the table, they would be visible. Hopefully that makes sense. Once my right side was uncovered, the doctor would examine the top of my leg, hip, and groin area as well as my foot and toes. Then he would grab my right foot in one hand and my knee in the other, place my foot flat on the edge of the table, and press my knee out to the side. He would stand at the foot of the table and examine my perianal area, scrotum, and penis. Still holding my leg and knee, he would walk up the right side of the table to get a better or different view. Occasionally, he would lift or adjust the gown to get a better view of my genitals. He would then lower my right leg and do the exact same thing with my left side. Sometimes he would unfold the gown to re-cover my right side before uncovering my left, but sometimes he would just move everything so I was completely exposed with the gown piled on top of my genitals and right hip. I felt very exposed during those moments. The MA could not see much on the right side, but she always got a great view on the left. After examining my left leg, the doctor and MA readjust my gown to cover me and have me sit up. The MA slips my arms back in the gown and ties the back at my neck while the doctor examines my face, neck, and scalp. Finally, I am instructed to stand while the doctor squats down and pulls the right side of my gown out away from my body. I'm not 100% sure, but I believe he was looking at the top and front of my penis. That's about the only thing covered while I was lying down. He then had me turn 90°, spreads my gown, and examined my butt. I then turned another 90° and he looked at the left side of my penis. He leaves, the MA hands me whatever paperwork there is, and then leaves me to get dressed.

@BenDover From a health care perspective, it sounds like your doctor has a methodical approach so they won't get distracted and miss anything, and it's good that you received a total body exam without needing to specifically request it, which a shy patient may be reluctant to do.

But it does sound complicated to split the genital exam into so many different stages/perspectives! And it sounds like a very vulnerable position with the entire gown piled up in one spot.

I guess this is the confusing part:

he would grab my right foot in one hand and my knee in the other, place my foot flat on the edge of the table, and press my knee out to the side. He would stand at the foot of the table and examine my perianal area, scrotum, and penis. Still holding my leg and knee, he would walk up the right side of the table to get a better or different view.

So this entire time he doesn't let go of your foot and knee?

I can't imagine much of a formality or technical position for a simple body scan. Stand there and as the doctor asks me to remove clothing from the part of the body he is examining. When through, the clothes go right back on and then onto the next section. For the genital area he simply has me lower my underwear and when through, up they go. I am sure we all would like the doctor to explore and handle the penis in different positions and state of excitement but less than 200 cases of penile cancer have ever been diagnosed, I am sure the doctor would rather get on with his day than to dwell on the head of your penis. Insurance doesn't cover staring time. 😃

… and it's good that you received a total body exam without needing to specifically request it, which a shy patient may be reluctant to do.

At the end of every exam, I scheduled my next one, and they always specify that it's for a full body skin exam. They even write that on the reminder card they give me. Also, at the beginning of every exam, when the MA takes me back to the room, she always confirms that the appointment is for a FBSE. So it's not like I don't know what's coming.

I guess this is the confusing part:So this entire time he doesn't let go of your foot and knee?

Not really. It's not like he has a death grip on my foot and knee. Mostly he just kind of helps me hold my leg in position, maybe guide my knee out a little more to help him peer into my butt crack a bit more. For the most part, at anytime while he's examining me, he doesn't really touch me much. He doesn't touch my genitals all. So it just depends on how everything is lying while I'm on my back, or everything is hanging while I'm standing up. Some might say that's not very complete, but I'm happy with it. At least he gives it a peek or two and satisfies any medical concerns. Plus, I'm completely exposed to my doctor, and partially exposed to the MA, and that's the bonus of satisfying my medfet.

I haven't but I have been with a family member to a dermatologist who over the years has used genupectoral position, laying frog leg and made use of stirrups also.

@ethan256625 what is the patient's sex?

@jblasphemy17 female.

I get skin exams quarterly and I have never been frog legged or in stirrups. I am in a gown no undies and he looks at everything but I’ve never had to spread my legs for the dermatologist

She just had me sitting on the end of the table but she stopped when she got down to my waist. She did ask me to show her the spot I had mentioned on the intake paperwork which was on the inside of my foreskin but no exam below the belt otherwise. She told me to assume whatever position was easiest for me to show that to her. I have to work on getting a full body exam next time as I've never had one.

I get skin exams quarterly and I have never been frog legged or in stirrups. I am in a gown no undies and he looks at everything but I’ve never had to spread my legs for the dermatologist

The repeated visits was for lichen sclerosus so there was no full body skin exam rather dermatologist specifically subspecialty in vulvar clinic.

My wife had a mole removed from a bottom cheek and the doctor made her kneel on a platform that pulled out from the exam table. and lay on her elbows on the table. so kneeling , but not quite doggy. but definately intended to show everything.

I have had 2 dermatologists, both female. The first dermatologist did the exam with me lying on a table with just my boxers on. She would ask me to "lift up" when she would pull down my boxers to check my butt. She would also spread my butt cheeks for complete inspection.

My current dermatologist checks me while I'm seated in an exam chair in my boxers. Then she has me stand, remove my boxers, and she checks my butt, backs of legs and genitals.

My dermatologist checked my ass but didn't spread the cheeks. Maybe next time!

My exams at the dermatologist typically start with me sitting on the table for most of the exam including head, torso, lower legs, feet, then standing at the end for butt and back of legs and upper thighs that are normally covered by the gown while seated. i haven't been lying down for an exam at all. The few times there have been things taken care of, i've been seated the whole time.

Last year, I went in for my annual derm checkup, particularly to check a skin irritation I had around my perineum. The doctor had me lay back on the table, lowered the table, and had me spread my legs for him. It was rather similar to a gyn visit, just no stirrups. He only had me strip from my waist down and provided a drape for modesty's sake. It felt rather intimate, as he did have to touch my labia and recto-vaginal region as well, to thoroughly check the extent of the irritation.

We are going back in a few months for our annual check up. Most of the time, he's so quick- in and out- that we feel as if the checkup isn't as thorough as it should be. What I mean is, he doesn't usually have us strip completely naked, he just kind of peruses over the visible parts, and, outside of the visit I initially mentioned, it just doesnt seem that thorough. What if he misses something?

We're rather ANAL about our health and particularly our skin as we do live down south where the UV index gets quite high. Since he always has a chaperone present anyway, I would think he'd check us without any of our clothes on, to ensure he misses nothing. Is that standard? I don't know but this has nothing to do with our medfetish, and everything to do with our health! ☝️

I agree that you should be checked thoroughly. I feel the same way. I do a very thorough inspection with my patients. It's fun but I take it seriously

I have had a few dermatologist. Almost everyone was exactly the same. Strip down to underwear and put on a gown. They would examine each area while moving parts of the gown. I would be seated in exam table. Usually towards the end, I would stand, and they would lower my underwear at the back and look at the butt. Only ones has a dermatologist lower the front and looked at my genitals. There wasn’t much warning when she did this.

Standing or sitting on the edge of the table. One dermatologist had a reclinable table (I think it even had stirrups that slide out) but I never even sat on it. Just lifted the gown when neessary.

My female dermatologist had me lay on bed for front exam and stand bend over for butt area.

Back in the early 2000s, my dermatologist had me remove my pants and underwear and lie on the table on my side with my knees bent up for him to examine my asshole. He was an elderly man. The next couple of appointments, he had me lie in the same position, but he said "lift your cheek".