Rectal or genital done first?

During the most recent exam I had, the doctor did the rectal before the genital and hernia exam. This was a first for me as all my previous exams were done with genital before the rectal. I am curious what the experiences of others have been.

"The traditional way" genital first.

My drs. Always do the finger check before a bi-manual exam.

GF gets speculum, then bimanual, then rectal. Always in the order.

My doc always checks genitals first, then hernia check, then DRE.

Generally, in females, the genital/vaginal/bi-manual always precedes the rectal exam. That prevents cross contamination.

I always examine the genitals first before performing the rectal examination. However, taking a semen sample is usually the last procedure. 😃

I was lying on my back wearing only white briefs. The doctor did abdominal palpation and auscultation, checked pulses in my ankles, knees, and groins, then had me turn on my left side and bend the right knee toward my chest. I could hear a drawer open-I think in the exam table-and him gloving up. Then he pulled down the back of my tighty whities, spread the upper cheek of my buttocks, and I felt the lubricated, gloved finger enter my anus. I felt the finger touch and palpate my prostate and then go 360 degrees around my anus. He withdrew his finger, handed me a box of tissues, and told me I could pull up my pants. I was somewhat relieved, as I thought the exam was concluded. My heart sank when he told me to get up from the table and walk over to him. (He was seated on a stool across the room at this point.) When I was in front of him, he told me to face him and said "slip your shorts down." I felt a sick feeling as I slipped the briefs down below my scrotum and he got the first look at my genitalia. He looked, then took my penis, spread the meatus, palpated the entire shaft--what little was there since I was totally shriveled up. Then he took one testicle in his hand and felt it, then did the hernia exam on that side, and repeated the process on the other side. It was my worst nightmare of a rectal/genital exam.

Exam doc, did he glove up again with fresh gloves before doing the genital exam?

[quote author=JimmyJohnson link=topic=64152.msg449106#msg449106 date=1339348962]

exam doc, did he glove up again with fresh gloves before doing the genital exam?

[/quote]

Yes, he did glove again. I forgot to mention that detail, but it did add a lot to the awkwardness of the sequence of events.

[quote author=axqr94 link=topic=64152.msg449034#msg449034 date=1339327335]

My doc always checks genitals first, then hernia check, then DRE.

[/quote]

This is the same I have always experienced before this exam I mentioned.

The only time I've had my anus examined (not a rectal) was for a specific issue and my genitals were not checked then. Every other time it has only been the genital exam, no looking behind.

Interesting. I wonder why he did the rectal first. Typically it's always been genital, visual anal, and then rectal/DRE.

[quote author=codykv link=topic=64152.msg449194#msg449194 date=1339380412]

Interesting. I wonder why he did the rectal first. Typically it's always been genital, visual anal, and then rectal/DRE.

[/quote]

I know. Weird isn't it. That is why I posted it, to see if others thought it was as strange as I did.

This is the way I do it:

1. Taking temperature

2. examination of the genitals

3. rectal examination

4. at last taking a semen sample

Exam doc, putting myself into the mind of your doctor (with questions: this was your first exam from this doctor who is how old?) he doesn't want the gown issue, wants his male patients in underwear only. He proceeds top to bottom. He has you on the exam table. Now he could, like every other doctor, have you stand up, drop briefs, pull them back up, get back on the table, but why, he asks. Make no big deal and get the awkward rectal done, pulling underwear down as needed, then end with genital, the patient naked once, the, for him, awkwardness once, instead of a period with a naked patient.

Seems like he's wasting a pair a gloves that way..

Has anyone ever had a testicular or hernia exam without gloves ?

I want to say the doctor that did the group high school sports physicals didn't wear gloves (this is going back 25 years or so) They only did hernia checks for that portion of the exam..

I think years ago testicular and hernia exams were done without gloves. This was before AIDS and all sorts of other nasty stuff.

[quote author=wrestler link=topic=64152.msg449249#msg449249 date=1339413281]

Exam doc, putting myself into the mind of your doctor (with questions: this was your first exam from this doctor who is how old?) he doesn't want the gown issue, wants his male patients in underwear only. He proceeds top to bottom. He has you on the exam table. Now he could, like every other doctor, have you stand up, drop briefs, pull them back up, get back on the table, but why, he asks. Make no big deal and get the awkward rectal done, pulling underwear down as needed, then end with genital, the patient naked once, the, for him, awkwardness once, instead of a period with a naked patient.

[/quote]

Yes, it was my first exam with this doctor who was in his early to mid fifties.

Usually genitals, testicular, hernia, then rectal.

I once had the doctor get flustered. She was mid thirties I guess while I was in my late twenties and having heared my complaints she thought a rectal exam was necessary. Having first asked whether I wanted to do it today or at a later appointment she left the room to allow me to get undressed. When she returned she went straight for the gloves and while putting them on asked whether I had had a rectal exam before and what I should expect. She also said that while we were at it she would give me a genital exam in response to a previous complaint I had. As she came over to me she asked me to lie on my back so that she could do the genital part first. However as I was doing this she was putting lube on her gloved finger, and so with me laying back ready, she rather awkwardly had to so "oh, that was silly of me, I've gone and lubed up already. Ok, let's do the rectal first, so if you could role over on your left side for me...." cue a nervous laugh from both of us!

Always the genital examination would be first at my gyn examination.my doctor usually doesn't give me a rectal exam.the only times i had rectal exams were when i was in hospital and once at my annual examination.

My Doctor does the rectal before the genital exam. She does the rectal in the sims position and then she has me stand up for the genital exam.

My current REAL doctor ... visual of genitals, then hands on examination of penis and testicles followed my "turn and cough." Then, visual of anus first then rectal and prostate exam. All done while I am completely naked.

My wife's gyn does the rectal last.

I prefer to be warmed up. so to speak, with the genital exam first then the rectal.

[quote author=charlie59horse link=topic=64152.msg451691#msg451691 date=1340394172]

My current REAL doctor ... visual of genitals, then hands on examination of penis and testicles followed my "turn and cough." Then, visual of anus first then rectal and prostate exam. All done while I am completely naked.

[/quote]

Charlie:

I am interested in your including the "visual" prior to the "hands on" portion of the exam of each body part. How are you aware of the 'visual" portion? Also, I love the photos you posted.

Always had the DRE at the end of the exam. Everything else first.

In a real setting the genital exam would always precede the rectal exam, which is almost always saved for last.

I was always taught that the very last thing done is the DRE. That is the order that it has always been done to me also. However, if the examiner wanted to check and/or culture prostatic fluid, it would make sense that he/she would do the rectal first. The only other reason (which was probably the case as you described it) is that he forgot the genital exam, and was simply backtracking.