Other countries- a full database

For some reason, there isn’t a lot of info on the differences from country to country on exams. There are a lot of anecdotes but can we have a thread where we can learn actually the differences?

Are there actually any countries where you are fully nude in 2023 for physical exams?

Are there countries where you are just in bra and panties for physical exams?

Thailand here: general physicals has been uneventful, at least since early 2000s. No nudity, just removing a shirt for auscultation or some doctors would try to reach inside the shirt themselves - yes even with children. Respect for modesty in civilians is remarkable here.

Genital exams are reserved for someone with special conditions e.g. problem with pubertal development - someone like me.

However, the military exams, especially for the conscripted, are almost parallel universe. There is literally every thing possible - group physicals, full nudity, complete shaving, checking for sizes, foreskin retractions, hernia exam, check for undescended testicle, rectal exam --- rumors say even semen sample (most likely for mini entertainment of immature trainers).

I know I know - that escalated quickly!

Thailand here: However, the military exams, especially for the conscripted, are almost parallel universe. There is literally every thing possible - group physicals, full nudity, complete shaving, checking for sizes, foreskin retractions, hernia exam, check for undescended testicle, rectal exam --- rumors say even semen sample (most likely for mini entertainment of immature trainers).

Have you experienced that or just heard about it?

@Jan_Germany Will answer via DM

I think that if you want to go beyond anecdotes you'd need a doctorate thesis or some other scientific study about differences between medical practices…

In Turkey, dermatology examinations for young men, particularly in research hospitals, often involve a full-body examination that requires the patient to completely undress. This practice is based on the need for a thorough evaluation of the skin, which includes all areas of the body, from the scalp to the feet, including the genital area and buttocks.

When a young man is referred to a dermatology department, especially in a teaching or research hospital, the examination can be quite comprehensive. Upon arrival, the patient is typically asked to remove all clothing, including underwear, and put on a medical gown. However, in many cases, the patient may be asked to completely disrobe without a gown, leaving them entirely exposed. The dermatologist will then conduct a detailed examination of the skin, paying close attention to any moles, rashes, or other skin conditions. This examination often includes the inspection of the genital area and buttocks, as these areas are prone to certain skin conditions that need to be assessed.

In teaching hospitals, where medical students and interns are often present, the situation can feel even more uncomfortable for the patient. During these examinations, it is common for a group of students to observe the process as part of their education. This means that the young man may find himself standing naked in front of not only the dermatologist but also several students, who are closely observing every aspect of the examination. The exposure of the genitalia and buttocks in front of multiple observers can be a deeply unsettling experience for many young men.

The atmosphere in these settings is typically clinical, with the focus on education and diagnosis, but the psychological impact on the patient is not always taken into account. The feeling of vulnerability is heightened by the fact that every inch of the patient's body is scrutinized, and there is little room for modesty in such a setting.

This method of examination, while medically necessary for thorough skin assessments, has been a source of discomfort for many young men, particularly in the context of cultural norms where modesty is highly valued. The presence of multiple observers only amplifies the sense of exposure, making the experience one that many find difficult to forget.

Thanks for reviving this thread @MedExamee , it’s always helpful to have the many anecdotes and experiences shared on this board, some historical, some current, some from institutional settings and some just a routine part of the healthcare system, but it would be interesting to bring it together into a summary.

In the US for example, it seems that one on one physicals are still commonplace, for health insurance generally, mandatory exams for new/labour intensive jobs, college, or high school sports participation. Whilst focus on the ‘unnecessary’ nature genital and rectal exams may mean more doctors are skipping those parts, US residents seem the most likely to encounter them on a regular basis.

In the UK, school medicals were common until the late 1980s, perhaps early 1990s in some areas. Some but not all of these included genital exams. Parts were likely to be in a group setting, and others one on one. It’s unusual now to receive these exams at school, it would be almost entirely in private schools and I suspect genital exams could be skipped for fear of false accusations. Our free healthcare system doesn’t include regular exams, treating issues reactively rather than identifying them proactively. University/sports or employment mandatory exams are also rare, except for labour intensive, offshore oil/gas workers or transport related jobs like pilots/train drivers. Again anecdotes seem to suggest these are much less likely to include genital or rectal exams now, other than by consent for reassurance (and so it can be skipped rather than being a mandatory part of the exam). Executive type medical exams, or private medicals needed for health and other kinds of insurance, may include them depending on the patient profile, they’re often listed under ‘cancer screening’ to provide some reassurance as to their necessity.

For the rest of the world, I think Belgium and Germany, and perhaps some other western European countries, had school age exams. I recall some anecdotes saying they included genital checks. These types of exam seem to still take place in Russia and former USSR countries as part of the routine healthcare system. For Germany there was the ‘musterung’ exam also for those turning 18 and entering military/public service, much of which was done in a group setting.

There have been lots of videos of large group, nude, exams in China and South East Asia. It’s really interesting to read @Easternexam ’s account. It always seems that these are for military or other state workers, but I’m unsure if school exams also take place in these countries.

What’s also interesting is that some Asian, Gulf and Eastern European countries have very strict employment visa requirements, and a lot of the Gulf countries have a high level of migrant workers. I’ve heard anecdotes and seen sample exam forms that suggest some of these exams can be very intensive indeed, including mandatory and detailed genital and rectal exams including samples for STDs. I believe Russia introduced these mandatory exams for ‘Westerners’ recently but haven’t seen any direct accounts.

I would be interested in others’ thoughts on international approaches too.

@ukdoc I can speak for Thailand alone and that within my environment (Bangkok - metropolitan area, early 2000s) as you may find standard in this country not entirely uniform. We did go through routine physicals at school, which were anything but thorough - involving mostly height & weight measurement, blood pressure monitoring, and auscultation. The staffs required us to take off the uniform shirts for the latter procedure, but since most boys wore vests underneath and these weren't further asked to be removed, we didn't even have to expose the torso! As I said, this isn't true for all parts of the country. In the rural area, I've known medical staffs to demand middle & high school students to strip completely and produce a supervised urine sample in group physicals. And I view such incidents not as being medically considerate but power flexing for local bureaucrats.

Thank you @Easternexam - it’s interesting that whilst the exams took place, they were really just a simple check for those in the city, but much more thorough and with less privacy for rural areas. It seems true that the exam process in many countries or regions depends on the medical ‘culture’ and how respected (or feared) the doctors and those overseeing such exams are.

University/sports or employment mandatory exams are also rare, except for labour intensive, offshore oil/gas workers or transport related jobs like pilots/train drivers. .

@ukdoc - you are of course completely correct, in the UK there are certain industries/professions where medical examinations to prove fitness to work are required. These however have moved to be quite cursory in nature. The current rail medical for example requires no level of undressing (with the exception of exposing upper arm for blood pressure reading). The focus being on eyesight, (aided and unaided), colour blindness, hearing and blood pressure. Drug and alcohol testing is included with the urine sample having to be produced in a sterile environment.

As has been pointed out, I too am of the view that some of the reasons for moving away from more thorough exams is the fear of accusation of appropriateness.

@darrenjames It makes sense that a *work* physical is related to medical conditions that could prove a problem for that particular line of work. Obviously a train driver should have decent eyesight, hearing, reflexes and mental health. None of these involve undressing.

@Jacana - yes completely agree. In the UK we’ve just seen a move away from requiring people to undress. If we look back over the years whilst the functions being assessed were probably the same it would not have been unusual to have to undress.

I know this to be the case for airline related exams back in the 1990’s, male crew had to disrobe to their underwear however the checks made are the same as today when no undressing is required.

@darrenjames There is a general move in suppressing compulsory examinations that have no clear relationship to the goals pursued. In the old days, when a woman wanted to get oral contraceptives prescribed, it was compulsory for her to undergo a pelvic and speculum examination. Doctors, I heard, refused to prescribe the Pill unless they conducted these examinations. Yet a speculum exam / pap smear has nothing to do with whether or not it's possible to prescribe oral contraceptives! The real things to look into are hormone levels etc., which are obtained through a blood test.