Exam Gown Questions

My gyn uses the paper vest and a sheet. The vest is so annoying and scratchy that I'd rather just do without it. I haven't had a paper gown before. I've had cloth gowns but haven't seen those in a long time. Must be more expensive to use.

My friend recently went to an exam and was wearing a dress with pantyhose. She was told to unhook her bra and remove the pantyhose. The doctor went up under the dress for the breast exam and then had my friend put the dress up around her waist for the pelvic. That sounded a little unusual to me but I guess it isn't that unusual.

Always cloth at my gyn and open in the back. I always get undressed alone.

All the gyn exams I have observed, the doctors have told the women to place the opening in the front. I suppose this is so they can do the breast exam without exposing too much.

The opening goes to the back and no the doctor dont watch

When I last went with my GF the nurse instructed her to take everything off and put on the gown with the opening to the front.

She then left the room.

Gowns should always open to the back! There is NEVER any need for the gown to open in the front. This front thing is something newbies-not in-the-know came up with and is hopefully FLEETING. And to those who say it's easier to access the breasts in a female exam with front opening, wrong! The examiner simply drops the back-opening gown off the shoulders to her lap and there's full access to the breasts. Plus, the patient can walk down the hall without her genitals and breasts possibly showing if the gown opens to the back. Maybe some ass shows but that's common unless the gown is tied -- which never typically occurs.

Stop it with this front opening thing!

Some real doctors really do have you put the opening in the front. My current GP is one of them (and the whole thing fell open while I was getting into position for my last pelvic exam, which was nice and humiliating, LOL). My last GP had it open in the back.

As playdoctor if a gown is used I make the opening to the back allways

Sorry, Alex, but it's not a "newbie" thing. Real doctors, particularly gyn docs, will ask that the opening be in the front. That was true for my wife's initial pre-natal about eighteen years ago, so it's definitely a practice that's been around for a while. Your point about the patient being able to walk down the hallway without accidental exposure is fine, but there's an easier way to avoid that: don't send a patient down the hallway in a gown. For an office visit, there's really no reason for the patient to be wandering around outside of the exam room. For in-patient care, the gown is more likely to be on with the opening to the back, and often the gown is supplemented by robes, etc. that the patient has brought from home.

My gyn doctor didn't use exam gowns. I need undress from waist down and unhook my bra. i wear only a top or shirt as i step out from the undressing cabin.

Same here; no gown, just a shirt. But that depends on were you are in the world. It might seem a little strange but when you are "used" to it and don't know it any other way it's not the end of the world ... lol ... but I have to admit though, that it definitely takes a while to get used to it (and I'm still working on that part ;-) ... ) ... and no, I can always get undressed in private.

Apparently it's a very standard European style. (no gown)

I have heard this before from Lisagyn1270 (who posted just a few responses down) and have also seen it in a few Dutch videos that have appeared on UKGYN. Walking from the "cabin" to the exam "chair" must certainly be a bit strange and uncomfortable.. but as Katharina says "you get used to it".

I'm not so sure that our American ladies would get used to it very easily though.. I'm sure they'd find it quite humiliating to not have any gown at all. And that walk from cabin to chair... would no doubt seem like a long mile!

Fortunately for all, from what I have understood from Lisagyn1270, the doctor typically is NOT sitting waiting as you walk to the chair and get seated.

A. Yes it is specified front or back.

B. No, the doctor or nurse are not in the room. I am alone while undressing and getting into the gown.

Front. Usually no doc when changing.

The gown is open in the back. I am completely naked under the gown prior to my gyno doctor coming into the room. The nurse brings me into the exam room.

The nurse hands me the gown and instructs me to put it on with the opening in the front and then she leaves the room for a few mins and then comes back in and does my vitals before the doc comes in

The nurse does your vitals, hand you the gown, tells you which way to open (I've had both - front and back, and I much prefer back-opening), and leaves the room. The doctor gives you some time, knocks, and comes in when you say you're ready.

I am taken into the room where she will take my bp and temp then hands me a gown and instructs me to undress, "remove everything" and gives me some privacy. I always feel like its a mad dash to get undressed and await my rear end sitting on the cold crinkly paper.

My wife always gets a cloth gown and is instructed to put the opening in the front. No drape.

Gowns in continental Europe are uncommon and considered juast as unnecessary waste. Normal practice is just a shirt (with fron buttons or just a loose tee) and socks.

My wife always gets a paper gown with a paper cover-up and told to undress completely and put the ties in the front. It always seems like a lot of paper and by the time she gets on the table it is all over and she is having to adjust it. She never ties the straps so everything is falling off of her and the cover-up is really overkill. They seem like a lot and get in the way when the doctor is doing his exam on her. He always is moving it away and repositioning it. At the end she cannot wait to get it all off of her and just get her clothes back on. She has even made comments that it is really worthless and just annoying to have.

A friend of mine started recently playing with and having sex with said she doesn't get a gown at hers. She's fully nude and has a small sheet covering the breasts and another covering the pelvic area. He lowers the sheet up top for her breast exam with both exposed at once, then they're covered and the sheet is lifted for her pelvic exam when she gets in the stirrups. It's quite erotic for her because her hard hips show through the top and her pelvic area is no longer covered when that area is checked.

The nurse will give me the gown and tell me open in front or back (depending on the exam). Then she leaves while I change.

Open in the front and I change after nurse leaves.

Open in the front? But how can it cover your da kine?

The only time I really get a gown is at the gyn and they always say open in the front.

I change after the nurse leaves.

My SO on the other hand never gets a gown. At our pcp, he starts out and ends up in his underwear AND the nurse stays in there from the time we walk back until when the doctor leaves...funny there's such a difference when it comes to modesty factors.

The 4 doctors I have seen recently have been consistent in the whole exam gown thing. Gyn, internist and derm (all female) Everything comes off, completely naked under gown 2 paper, one cloth gown open in back. Nurse led me into exam room and doctor came in after I was changed into my birthday suit. Ortho (male) Everything off except my panties, cloth gown open in back. Male PA led me to exam room and left as I stripped down.

For my wife, nurse instructs her to undress fully with gown opening in front and blanket covering bottom. Once this is done she hops up on the exam table and waits for the doctor to knock with a chaperone and begin the exam

I have had Drs say open in front others open in back. None watched or where in the room when changing. The open front allows more modesty fit breast exam. When open in the back, the whole chest gets exposed.