Females or males more embarrassed by rectal temps?

Ive only had females take my temp rectally

As a young boy, I was initially embarrassed of the rectal temps at the pediatrician clinic. (all the nurses, smell of alcohol, other crying children, the fear of the unknown-shots, probing fingers, enemas--the entire medical setting). Mom said it was the best way. Besides she and my older sisters took my temp rectally at home. At the pediatric clinic, I noticed each of the nurses had their own unique method for the procedure. So when it was "temp time", I knew to climb the steps at the end of the exam table, and lie down on the white crinkly paper on my tummy. I would lay still as the nurse lowered my underwear to below my knees. I then watch the nurse go to the counter, retrieve, and prep the rectal thermometer that will soon be inserted into my bottomhole. There were 8 female nurses at the pediatrician office. Each of the nurses had taken my rectal temp in the past.The pediatrician office had 2 female doctors as well. I later found out it was standard procedure to take rectal temps at the clinic.

I would say that males are more embarrassed than females. Although rectal temps were always taken at home, even during high school, my younger brother always turned beet red whenever mom, or I, took his temperature. But, he really turned red when he was 19 and hospitalized. The nurses took his rectal temp and he hated the 8PM ones, when visiting hours were over, but we sometimes stayed a while longer.

I cannot talk instead of women but I assume that the males were more embarrassed by rectal temps because it was their mother or a female sibling or a nurse who was in charge of inserting in their rectum the thermometer

Now normally there are no more rectal temps but in the past, when I was young, it was the common practice for a child at least until 14 age, it was generally his mother who did it and there was no way to refuse. After 14 age it was depending on families but normally it could be taken by the boy himself without help.

At school for boys only, it was the same, the permanent school nurse used to take the temperature rectally each time it was necessary or even when unnecessary to check that a boy student was not lying about a disease to be exempted of Pe lessons or swimming lessons.

So when you arrived at her office, her first reaction was to instruct you to remove your trousers and pull down until ankles your brief to let her take your temperature rectally, it was of course embarrassing but it was her who had the power to decide how check your health state. She applied this rule even with the older boy's students at last grades of high school.

So at home you could take your temperature alone and sometimes in some families teenagers could take it orally even if everybody was thinking at that time that it was less precise than taken rectally, but not at schools. A high school boy of 17 age had to remove his trousers and pull down his brief like a younger student for a rectal temps when he was in the nurse office.

It was the same in boarding schools and summer camps according to many relations.

I assume that as the boys were considered as less mature than girls of the same age and also because their shyness towards nudity especially when it concerned the butts was not considered as relevant, they were more often and more longer submitted to rectal temps than girls

Anyway It is completely different today

I was never embarressed by having my temperature taken rectally. Mom explained to me that all kids have it done that way until they get a little older. At the doctors office the nurse would say something like " OK, are you going to be a big boy and let me take your temperature?" I would reply that I was ready. I also knew that if I was well behaved I would get a treat from their treasure chest.