Physicians Asking About Sexual Orientation

Toplate wrote:

"My girlfriend told me that when she entered puberty, her family doctor would ask her her sexual orientation every time she went in for her annual. Has this happened to anyone else?"

No, never. The OB gyn has asked if I have a stable partner and assumed it was a guy because I was asking for birth control pills...

Never directly. When I'd go in for an STI test, the attending physician would ask if my sexual partners were men or women. They're not asking you how you label yourself, but more what your sexual appetites have been in the time since your last checkup.

With a PCP, he would ask if I was sexually active and then skip straight to the question as to when my last STI check was. From there I had to offer up the fact that I'm gay and ask if there were unique health concerns I should have on my radar.

I have been asked if I am sexually active but never asked what my orientation is.

I've heard doctors ask the question. Usually it goes something like this:

doctor: "Are you sexually active?"

patient: "yes"

doctor: "males or females?"

If the patient answered 'no,' to the question about sexually active, the gender question wasn't asked.

The only questions I ever got asked was about multiple sex partners and the use of contraception. That is a four syllable word so I don't what it means.

I'm such a "goody two shoes" they don't even ask because despite their knowing I have two children, THEY THINK I'M A VIRGIN! 😁 😁 😁

ALWAYS give vanilla hetero answers.

I'm impressed! I only heard of that once before and her name was Mary. You did it twice!! 😁

My experience has usually been similar to what Adorkable describes. So they're not actually asking about orientation but the people I've actually had sex with. They'd then usually go on to ask what type of sex I've been having with each.

As with most here I have never been asked about my sexual orientation by any physician. I have been asked about my sexual history or if I am sexually active. Personally I really dont see the relevance of sexual orientation question.

RN

okthen said:

they're not actually asking about orientation but the people I've actually had sex with. They'd then usually go on to ask what type of sex I've been having with each.

They ask what TYPE of sex you have with them??? you mean oral, anal, vaginal, aural, mammary, axillary, nasal, ocular, umbilical, etc???

I've been asked if I have sex with males , females or both the questions need to be asked to gauge the psychology of the situation. And see what STI's to be looked into also. It's not a long drawn out conversation but it is asked in a lot of Drs offices these days since homosexual relationships are more prevalent .

Can't work out how to quote but yes, they've asked the type while I'm being tested for STIs. Suppose they need to know what areas to take swabs from. That's the most I've ever been asked in that situation, but there were a lot more questions when I was having an assessment for gender dysphoria with a psychologist. I wasn't convinced they were at all relevant

With gender dysphoria, they are also going to be concerned that you might be gay and are having anal sex which adds to the types of infection you might be having.

I never had a test for STD's/STI's in my life because I never had an STD and it wasn't a complaint of mine.

The questionnaire they have me fill out every year asks about the gender of sexual partners and types of sex. They include certain STI tests as a regular part of the exam but that might just be because it is a university health clinic.

It sounds like there are plenty of questions I would leave BLANK or give vanilla hetero answers.

Gay and bisexual men have health risks which are different and you should be frank with your doctor. If they are not welcoming to your sexual orientation, find another doctor. I told my PCP at my first visit which led to a discussion of risky sex practices and the need for STD and HIV testing. It's no big deal.

Gay and bisexual men have health risks which are different and you should be frank with your doctor. . . . .

That is not true.

The "health risks" are ones of infection and any infection you can get from a man, you can also get from a woman.

I agree with Bob...

I think its fine to ask for health reasons, but not every time. Lol.

I work at an STD clinic so sexual habits are relevant to our work. But we don't ask what their orientation is as this forces them to label it or encourages them to lie if they have not come to terms with the truth. We ask them : who have you had sexual contact with in the last six months; men , women or both.

I work at an STD clinic so sexual habits are relevant to our work. But we don't ask what their orientation is as this forces them to label it or encourages them to lie if they have not come to terms with the truth. We ask them : who have you had sexual contact with in the last six months; men , women or both.

Isn't that the EXACT same thing as asking their orientation?

Isn't that the EXACT same thing as asking their orientation?

It sounds like they are trying to ask it without being quite so direct.

It sounds like they are trying to ask it without being quite so direct.

I think asking who you've had sex with recently is more direct than using sexual orientation. What if I'm attracted to the same sex but haven't had any contact for the last year - or at all?

My doctor asked me if I had intercourse within the past 6 months, guess he figured I was married!

A couple of years ago when I went in for an STD screening the doc asked me if my future activity was homosexual. It surprised me. I answered Negative.

I work in a HIV testing clinic and we never ask sexual orientation. During our assessment we only ask about what behaviors they engage in, such as .. do you have oral sex with men or women, giving or receiving.. do you have penetrative sex with men or women, giving or receiving ..etc. Sexual orientation isn't alway clear with all clients. For example, I have male clients I know would identify as "straight" if asked even tho, on occasion, may anally penetrate a man or receive oral sex from a man. In my experience of working with clients, sexual orientation is not always a black and white issue but rather shades of grey.

The gynaecologist asked me what my sexual orientation and relationship status was. He then went on to ask me if I felt happy and safe in my relationship. I think they’re getting better at screening for domestic violence and emotional issues related to intimacy which is a positive thing. Makes for great holistic care ?

drmyk2 said

I work in a HIV testing clinic and we never ask sexual orientation. During our assessment we only ask about what behaviors they engage in, such as .. do you have oral sex with men or women, giving or receiving.. do you have penetrative sex with men or women, giving or receiving ..etc. Sexual orientation isn't alway clear with all clients. For example, I have male clients I know would identify as "straight" if asked even tho, on occasion, may anally penetrate a man or receive oral sex from a man. In my experience of working with clients, sexual orientation is not always a black and white issue but rather shades of grey.

Asking people if they have any type of sex with men and/or women is indirectly, spuriously or furtively asking their orientation. Plain and simple, it is a sneaky way to get them to admit, but not to say what they are. The answers to those questions makes their orientation PERFECTLY clear. A person being asked those questions would be severely lacking in brain power NOT to realize what was being asked, and you ask it the way you do to avoid having people directly state what their orientation is.

I am really sick and tired of people "identifying" as straight, male, female, an alien from Mars, a squirrel, a polar bear or anything else when it is completely clear what they are. The "identifying" bullshit has gotten completely out of hand. The male clients having occasional sex with men are LYING TO THEMSELVES AND YOU when they "identify" as straight.

Their answer gives their orientation. If a man occasionally has sex with a man, or both sexes he is bisexual. If people have sex with only the opposite sex, they are heterosexual, if they only have sex with their same sex they are homosexual. It's pretty simple.

It does seem difficult to imagine that in this day and age someone would have a difficult time admitting to sexual orientation, however when you factor in a persons marital status or religious back ground or beliefs (etc) I see where some people may have a hard time identifying. We can call it “lying”, denial or self preservation but after years of working with people I know it does happen more frequently then one would imagine. In the clinic I work in we are less interested in a patients sexual orientation and more concerned with their behaviors. Orientation tells us very little about the patient, asking behavioral questions gives us a chance to identify a level of risk. That opens a door for us to talk about how they maybe at risk of contracting a STI and offers an opportunity to educate and suggest safer sex practices.

Well, what matters, medically speaking, is NOT what people consider to be their own orientation, NOT how they want to call this orientation, NOT how most people would describe their orientation, but what they DO or intend to do.

A man who feels attracted to men may be "homosexual", but until this attraction translates into acts such as anal or oral sex, or intention to commit these acts, this is not a medical issue.

By focusing on ACTS (past or intended), one gets away from this business of labeling and back into actions and associated medical risks.