Double standard in pediatric office

This report doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of the misandry that pervades society today.

I don't think that it an intentional dislike for men as much as it is an assumption that male nudity is less important for men than for a female in a medical setting. It is a bias for sure. The male socialization process does reinforces the idea of being naked for a male as being “no big deal.” If you do complain or hesitate, it says something about your confidence or masculinity.

This is in the United States? After the American medical association came out with standards regarding adolescent exams after Nassar et al ? It’s a lawsuit waiting to happen. Underwear only would be lowest standard even though they come down or off at some point.

I don't think that it an intentional dislike for men as much as it is an assumption that male nudity is less important for men than for a female in a medical setting.

@Nick321

I feel that this extends beyond the doctor's office and pervades our society as a whole. I recall my mother stating that teenage girls need privacy, but teenage boys don't. My parents had no problem with my sister going into the bathroom when I was showering. I was not allowed in the bathroom when she was showering. I had many arguments with my parents about this issue. I told them that I required privacy as a teenager. I feel that many males have experienced the same problem.

It’s very possible that double standards happen today when it comes to examinations of boys and girls, but I can tell you it did not apply when I saw my pediatrician as a young teen. Now granted this was back in the 1970’s, but I know it was no different when it came to clothing removal for myself and my sister, (Who was a year younger than me) meaning everything came off except your underpants. I know this to be true for one time our mother had made an appointment for us on short notice for summer camp physical. I’m assuming they squeezed us in that day because they put us in the same exam room together. Normally we would have been examined seperately. I’ll never forget the nurse escorting us in and saying something like, “The Doctor will be in shortly, so I need you both to take off everything except your underpants”. Now I was 13 at the time and my sister was 12, and I know at the time both of us we’re not to thrilled about this revelation. For me I was very embarrassed and I know my sister was also. After we undressed reluctantly, the nurse took our vitals and weighed us both, then she told me to sit on the table, and told my sister to sit next to mom, and to wait for the doctors arrival. We both saw eachother examined. And our pediatrician checked everything on both of us. So no double standard at least back then.

Perhaps a preliminary question: "Have you ever been to a public beach or pool, any issues?" should be a prompt for patients to determine their level of comfort for an exam.

If boys are used to being around people in just swimming trunks, being examined in only underwear and no gown should be entirely appropriate. Same for girls who wear a bathing suit. Then they should be comfortable in bra and panties, as it affords the same level of nudity, although having a gown for them at least optional is a safe idea.

When my kids go for physicals, they keep their clothes. Dr listens thru their shirt and when the time comes they drop their pants.

A few years ago I was at the doctor's office and noticed a teen (maybe 13 or so) and a girl (younger than the boy) and both were apparently getting checkups. Here is what I heard

nurse: ‘I asked if he wanted his mom in the room and he said ’no'

nurse comes back: ‘he weighs 158 lbs’

mother:'is that bad?'

nurse: ‘well he was in his undies when I weighted him and you can discuss with the doctor you can bring your daughter back,her exam room is ready.’

Later I saw them going to the car (they were parked next to mine) and the little girl was teasing the boy ‘you're fat and the doctor wants you to go on a diet piggy'

Now what's interesting is that the nurse was fine in telling the waiting room crowd that her son was in just his underpants and mentioned nothing about the daughter. Maybe nothing but it seems like some version of the double standard is still around.

This was definitely the case when I was a teenager in the early 80's. When I was 14 my brother and I were waiting in a very small exam room for a larger room to become available. This exam room only had a table and once we were escorted in the nurse gave my six year old brother a shot in his buttocks and in order to do that she removed his pants and had the nurse slide his brief down. Once she was done my mother asked if she should give him his pants back with the nurse replying ‘no he is going to have to take it off in a few minutes’ and the nurse was turning to leave when my mom asked ‘should they undress now?’ Nurse replied ‘yeah have them strip to their their drawers,they can leave their clothes in here' When my eyes grew wide the nurse said ‘exam room is just two doors down, we’ve seen plenty of boys in their undies' . So the nurse left and we took off everything except our briefs and a few minutes later the nurse came back and escorted us down the hall clad in nothing but white Fruit Of The Loom briefs. I doubt they would have done the same with a girl

I definitely believe there is a double standard and the we need into more of an equal mindset with it. Why not provide young men the opportunity to be modest if they want it? Provide the same options of keeping on undergarments, and if they are more comfortable taking it off or just want to opt out of the gown, they have that right, but in a real life setting why can't it just be the patients choice?

I never had to be completely naked through most of the exams. It was underwear on through the vitals (with underpants lowered for rectal temperature.). Then I was told to remove my undershirt, and it stayed like that until nearly the end, when the underpants had to come off. There were no NPs. There were female nurses, and mostly female doctors. Nothing was overly embarrassing. I think in the OP the NP was way out of line, and it tells me she is not in the business for the right reasons.

If boys are used to being around people in just swimming trunks, being examined in only underwear and no gown should be entire appropriate. Same for girls who wear a bathing suit. Then they should be comfortable in bra and panties,

While swimming trunks may cover up just as much as briefs, culturally and satorically, both serve different social/cultural functions. And since it is societal expectations that determine many of our feelings, wearing a pair of (white) briefs will not be experienced in the same manner as wearing a pair of (colored) swimming trunks.

I can state that when I was young, parents always seemed to clothe boys in white briefs. They felt so embarrassing because they were associated with underwear that was not supposed to be seen outside of a family or medical setting.

I don't know if you've watched ‘the Big Bang Theory’, but quite a number of jokes and comical scenes are premised on one of the characters, usually Dr. Sheldon Cooper, wearing white briefs. People laugh because of the social embarrassment that is attached to seeing a grown man in white underpants. The situations wouldn't be funny if Sheldon were wearing colored swimming trunks of the same size.

Now, I am not commenting on a medical setting. But expecting that a pair of white underpants and a swimming suit will elicit the same response from the wearer, doesn't seem to be what actually happens. There are different degrees of embarrassment involved.