Pediatrician on MS Radio Today

I listened while driving around today to an on radio pediatrician who was stating how parents must bring their children in to be examined for sports physical and a physical before school starts. I was alarmed how they placed the element of fear upon that if they didn’t something serious could be wrong and how important it was to get their kids in before a Dr to be ‘processed’. Really ? What if the child does not want to be manhandled, stripped, interfered with and humiliated all in the name of Mississippi bureaucracy. As a child I played sport, ran around outside and developed naturally and never was dragged into a Dr every term, I only saw a Dr if I was ill, and not to have them interfere and expose or inspect me intimately. I heard nothing of the paramount well being of the child, just how necessary it was to generate revenue and money all in the name of making Drs and insurance companies wealthy but nothing on if they found something wrong they’d make the child healthier. It seemed to be more about liability and that if a child got injured who would be culpable. It’s amazing the human race ever developed this far without the interference of Drs examining healthy wealthy kids but won’t examine and treat the poorer ones when they’re really sick, because their families cannot pay insurance co pays or to have two medical examinations each term. I’m so glad I did not endure the trauma of being a child growing up in MS.

What makes you think they would be stripped? I did not undress for any sports physicals. They were very basic exams and they were mostly focused on making sure heart/lungs/joints were okay.

Parents and children can say no to undressing if they are asked. No one’s making anyone do anything. That would be a lawsuit waiting to happen.

So when something does happen to a child, an injury during practice or game, or sadly sometimes even worse, in our litigious society the parents sue the school, the coaches, the refs, anyone they can get their greedy hands on.

So that is just one reason why kids get physical exams for sports.

I do not know what third world society you are living in but sports physicals have been a part of the life of an athlete for generations now. We all got them AND SURVIVED when I was in high school in the 70s. With a mature parent, your child will too.

You seem awfully down on doctors for a med-fet person....

What makes you think they would be stripped? I did not undress for any sports physicals. They were very basic exams and they were mostly focused on making sure heart/lungs/joints were okay.

That was my experience as well @diaperbabygirl .

Even as an adult there has been no stripping, nakedness, for a "physical". Even a surgical physical.

I think you're in some alternate Mississippi universe. Sports physicals usually aren't a traumatizing experience. They aren't stripping, or even undressing, girls, or even cupping guys' nuts. Also, even with a physical for employment nowadays most of the time people aren't getting undressed. If there's a breast exam or genital exam on the form, the doc will write "deferred" on the form.

Also... won't examine and treat the poorer ones? What? Plenty of places take MS Medicaid, and there is also no copay for Medicaid in MS. That isn't to say all heathcare services accept medicaid, but I am certain there are plenty that do.

@MissStress Right. That's what happens normally. There have been however cases where things went overboard, be them with overzealous or perverted physicians. Somebody posted a case in Pennsylvania (it went to the press) where teen girls were made to undergo pelvic exams (unsure how invasive) during school physicals.

@Pecan_nutjob I was the member who posted about school exams in Pennsylvania where the girls were forced to undergo pelvic exams.

School physicals in Pennsylvania included stripping and genital exams for both genders. The group physical I experienced in first grade was observed by our female teacher, including the genital exam. The exam was unexpected, we were taken from class with no explanation. We went to the nurse's office where we were told to take off our shirts and drop our pants and underwear. The teacher watched the doctor examine each student which included a thorough genital exam.

I was extremely embarrassed at the time, but somehow I also found it arousing. Maybe I was turning my trauma into a kink. I can definitely say that I was very upset at the time, but I don't think that I would be here had it not been for this exam and others like it. I understand the love/hate relationship many of us have with exams.

Also . . . any doctor who does not examine a boy's testicles post puberty should be sued for malpractice. Testicle cancer is the NUMBER ONE cancer for adolescent boys. Tell your boy to get over himself, it is just a part of life for a man.

I live in Metro Memphis, and believe i know which show the gentleman is referencing, and if so, the pediatrician is on staff at UMMC, Jackson, the teaching hospital.

The NPR affiliate has a block of programs related to health, and the Thursday topic each week is KIds and Teens.

The show, called Southern Remedy, airs in the 11 am hour, and covers a variety of topics each week.

Think Radio is the state network which airs the show.