Have you continued the RT tradition?

Whenever I am sick, a rectal temp is the most accurate way...

I Have on myself and my girlfriend when we are sick. She takes mine that way too, and makes sure I am well fed and given proper medications when sick. Rectal temperature taking gives the truest body temperature and is most comfortable.

Yes my girlfriend will take it no other way as she is a nurse and always tells me it's the most accurate way and while you are mine and in our house that is the only way I will take it...so really don't complain:-)

I am a 52 year old married woman and I still get my temperature taken rectally. It's sort of SOP in our home.

I continue the tradition only for myself whether I am sick or just want to play.

Yes for play and when I am sick

Rectal temperature taking has always been stigmatized as being used exclusively for children and babies. Temperatures taken rectally are the most accurate for everyone....men, women, and children. It shouldn't be such a taboo, especially for the Mom of the house, who's typically the caretaker (nurse) of the family. There's not a butt in my home I've not already seen thousands of times. Why should it be so difficult to just take whoever is sick in privacy....husband, daughter, or son in my case......and discreetly take their temperature in the only manner where you won't have any doubts about accuracy. It's not a traumatic process having it done. The thermometer only goes in the anus about 2 inches. With proper lubrication, you barely feel it. My husband and children hated having me take their temperature this way early on, but they've gotten use to it now. It comes in handy when there's sneezing, coughing, and nausea involved.

It's the only method that I use at home, and only for myself. I would balk at the idea of it being done by any healthcare worker, unless I was so out of it, that I didn't know the difference. In the U.S., I think that you would be hard-pressed to see rectal temps. being taken in the home, especially by younger folks. Some would even see it as abusive and invasive. Foreign cultures would likely not find any issues with it. Apparently technology has eliminated any obstacles to temperature taking, worldwide. Imagine what would happen if this pandemic took place during the era of vintage glass thermometers. I can almost guarantee that rectal temp. taking would be very common.

Very well said, Nikki !!

Very few of my patients actually even have a thermometer in their house, never mind a REAL thermometer !! (sorry, ear thermometers, forehead scanner thermometers, forehead plastic strip thermometers, and other gadgets are NOT TAKING A TEMPERATURE.)

If you're sick enough where I need a temperature, you're sick enough to get your temperature taken correctly. I tell my patients "top end or bottom end? you pick.." and expect better than "well, he feels warm!", which unfortunately is what I hear way too often.

In our home, rectal temperatures.. with a glass thermometer.

..if this pandemic took place during the era of vintage glass thermometers. I can almost guarantee that rectal temp. taking would be very common.

Nah.. we'd just have a bunch of mothers at the door putting hands on foreheads.. "Yeah, he feels a little warm. Next!"

@docinny45 I always wondered how accurate those forehead or ear thermometers are, especially the ear ones. It never seems like the nurses get it aimed down my ear canals. I also figure my ears are warmer from wearing hearing aids in both of them. My new doctors office uses oral thermometers, but digital ones.

When I was little mom use to took my temp in my butt from 0-15 today, i consider temp in the butt as the best way to take your temps

I do consider it to be the best most accurate method! My daughters received the rectal thermometer from their mother, not by me. I remember there always being one in their diaper bag. That’s now been over thirty years ago.

Since then, and relatively recently, I was in charge of taking the temperatures of a girlfriend’s two girls. One enjoyed it very much, and the other one (did not).

One would ask for her temp to be taken like she would ask for a piece of candy, and about as often. Her mother and I thought it was more of a healthy request than a harmful one, so she often got what she asked for.

With the older one, it was best to have the RT prep work done and to have everything required for the job to be laid out ahead of time. She was a handful as soon as she figured out what was about to happen! She was an ornery little biter and scratcher who received the thermometer and many of her medications via the end that did not have any teeth!

So yes, what was good enough for me was continued on!

Without Question it is still the best method to get an accurate inner core temperature reading.

I've never stopped taking mine that way.

I kept the rectal tradition never stopped and still use it with my son.

Yes I have continued the rectal temp tradition