Rectal temperature for teenage boys

I can still remember some rectally until about 16yo at the doctors office back in the early 60s.----dont think now a days that the nurses want to take the extra time to do it that way now, especially with all the new gadgets that will work in ears and foreheads of kids in only about 15 seconds

I went to a clinic where Nurses insisted that anyone under 16 yrs old must have their temperature taken rectally. When I was 14 and 15 it was really embarrassing, especially when the nurse was a young student Nurse.

I went to a hospital where Nurses said that policy is anyone under 16 yrs old must have their temperature taken rectally. I was it was really embarrassing at age 13 especially when the nurse was a young student Nurse.

Never had a rectal temperature taken, either as a child or adult, don't know of anyone in the UK who has it taken that way.

I was born in the US in the 50s. My dad was a doctor. Rectal temps stopped by the time I was 5 or 6 unless I was very sick, probably by the time I could hold a thermometer under my tongue, they stopped completely.

^^^^ Same for me,

Well, not the born in the 50's part! 😁

Looks like you missed all the fun that I can't remember.

^^^^ I have to write that one down for the future!

Like rapide040, I never had my temp taken rectally that I'm aware of. I was born in 1952, so it is entirely possible that it was done while I was an infant or toddler.

Like rapide040, I never had my temp taken rectally that I'm aware of. I was born in 1952, so it is entirely possible that it was done while I was an infant or toddler.

It was CERTAINLY done to all of us in the pre-digital days, there was no other choice before you could hold a thermometer under your tongue.

It would be very inaccurate getting anything but a rectal temp from a child under 3, probably 4 years of age. If their temp was really high, you would know, but an accurate reading would be almost impossible because they wouldn't be able to hold it under their tongue, not breathe on it (which would keep the temp down) or bite and break it.

As Jds said, in the pre-digital age, all of us had rectal temps as children.

Interesting post. I never had a rectal temp. taken at home or at the doctor's office, after age 5, but I did know teens who still received them at home. I lived in the Northeast, near New York, and thought that it may have been due to the "culture" there, until I met a woman from Texas, who also had her temp. taken rectally during her teens, by her mom. To me, it was weird. I always thought that rectal temps. were restricted to infants and young kids, until I heard about the desire to get a more accurate reading. Personally, I think that many parents continued to use rectal temps on their teens, because they couldn't accept that they were almost young adults, and would soon be off to live on their own. Mothers had to realize that they couldn't hold onto their "babies" forever.

Personally, I think that many parents continued to use rectal temps on their teens, because they couldn't accept that they were almost young adults, and would soon be off to live on their own. Mothers had to realize that they couldn't hold onto their "babies" forever.

That's an interesting concept. I've never yet seen it referred to here or anywhere else. Makes psychological sense for some people I suppose.

On the accuracy question though I've often wondered what the fuss could be about. Individuals have different base line temperatures to begin with and if you don't know the base line then there is little way of accurately determining what constitutes a fever or not. I'd think that determining one has a fever is enough to decide on the presence of an illness and that further degrees of accuracy are superfluous - unless in very grave cases. But not what we're talking about here.

In our home, we've always based temps on having a mild, 'normal' or high fever ... and even then the temps didn't always correspond with what is described as normal. Both my wife and myself have lower than average body temperatures meaning that we may have a fever internally, but it may not be considered as such by other people/medical personnel.

Agracier: My mother went by the rule that above 38 Celsius rectal was fever and below was not. Maybe she could have switched to oral and just compensated the difference but...

Some parents have definitive thoughts on how things are done.

I was born in 1947 and grew up in the fifties. I never had a rectal temp taken after about age four. I did have them taken rectally while hospitalized for work up of a fever of unknown etiology in the seventies.

In the days when rectal temperatures were considered the only reliable ones, all the armed services used glass rectal thermometers from the first physical until the final discharge. I have rectal thermometers which were official Army Issue..

When I was a medic in the army, one of the nurses told me that it was a rectal temp to anyone under 17yo------at out dispensary, we didnt do it that way unless there was a high ranking officer there---like a general

This was for military dependent children. I do remember seeing kids about 10yo or so getting rectal temps taken in the hallway at the clinic ----this was back in the early 60s

Never had one after age seven or so.

I've never had a rectal temp taken in a real medical situation, only in play. Prior to a surgical procedure temp was taken with an ear probe.

I remember one day in summer camp, there was a guy named Robbie who got sick almost to the point of heatstroke when we were running the lake trail. He puked his guts out, and we carried him to this 25ish girl named Michelle, our camp nurse. She had us help him onto the padded exam table, then she took his shirt and shorts off, leaving him wearing only his underwear. She had one of the boys soak a large towel in ice water from the cooler, and lay it over him. She got a thermometer from the medicine cabinet, and a foil pack of Vaseline. She reached under the towel and I believe she pulled his drawers down. She said "okay guys, I need you to all to go out for now." We stayed outside by the high window of the exam room hut. We could hear what was going on. I heard Michelle ask Robbie "I need you to bring your knees to your chest sweetheart okay." Then just a minute later I heart Robbie started whimpering. Michelle was saying "I know that's uncomfortable sweetheart, I'll take it out in just a couple minutes." We waited 30 more minutes, then knocked on the exam room door to see if we could come back in. Michelle let us back in, and Robbie's color was back. He was drinking Gatorade, setting back on the exam table. Michelle told us we got him out of the heat just in time or his temperature would've went dangerously high. I looked over on the counter, and the thermometer with the red triangle was wrapped in tissue beside an opened Vaseline wrapper. An inside out pair of blue exam gloves were on a paper towel beside it. Another guy named Timothy also caught on, and when we walked back out, he asked "do you realize what she did to him?" I said "yeah, they usually stick a thermometer up your butt if they think you've had a heatstroke." Timothy was like "why does it have to go in your butt and not your mouth?" Neither of us knew then. All we knew was that Michelle was really hot and pretty, and every one of us 14 year olds had a silly crush on her......as if any one of us could handle that. She usually wore really short khaki shorts and a bikini top. I was tempted to fake a heatstroke, but I was too chicken. I thought long and hard before risking having her pull my drawers down and use the thermometer on me. I realized how embarrassing that would be. I pulled Robbie to the side some time later and asked him about it. He said "how'd you know that?" I told him we could hear it from outside. Then I told him "dude she's hot, I might fake a heatstroke." Robbie said "uh, you better not, that thermometer doesn't feel good at all!" I said "she uses lube!", and he said "but she stuck it really far. She didn't tell me she was going to stick it up my butt either, just scrunch my knees and lay on my side. It kinda pinched when it first went in too." Again, it didn't sound like a picnic having that done so I still chickened out. Timothy and I talked about that a little more, and he was a bold little fucker. He said "I'm going to ask Michelle why they stick a thermometer up your butt when you get too hot." I said "Timothy you can't do that! What if she gets mad?" So to the hut Timothy went and we eagerly followed. Timothy walked straight in and said "Hi Michelle." Michelle replied "hi guys." Timothy asked "Michelle, promise not to laugh if I ask you a dumb question?" She laughed and said "well I guess not, what is it?" Timothy straight up asked "why do they put a thermometer in your bottom when you get too hot like Robbie did the other day?" Michelle answered in a matter of fact tone "you have to get what's called a core body temperature measurement that's more accurate. The only way to get it when the thermometer goes in your bottom." She said "Robbie is very lucky, so you guys remember not to over do it out there, and drink plenty of water, okay." We all agreed with her and left, but mine and Michael's face must have been red as a beet because talking that stuff embarrassed us.

The last time I had a "real" rectal temperature was when my tonsils were taken out back in the 1960s. I suppose rectal temps were standard for all pediatric patients then. II remember that when the nurse told me she was going to take my temperature I opened my mouth-wrong! She quickly had me on my stomach with a glass thermometer in my bared bottom. My face was as red as a beet.Rectals were taken throughout my hospital stay It seemed like every 15 minutes I was being told to roll over for a temperature check.

I can commiserate with several posts here. I have mentioned in other posts that this was my reality, not a fantasy or made-up story. As someone that was born in the 1960's, it was a much different era. Add to that a mother that was structured and old-fashioned. Temperatures at home were exclusively done rectally well into my teens. I was not asked, I did not argue, I simply complied. At the pediatrician's office, she accompanied me in the room for my check-ups and typically informed the nurse(s), both of which were there for most of my life to that point, that she still took my temperature rectally and preferred that for me as well. There were no electronic thermometers at that time, so it was oral or rectal. The nurses were probably mid-40s or there about, so they immediately went to the cabinet and got out the vaseline, rinsed the thermometer and came back to the table, telling me to turn over onto my tummy for them. It was literally like I wasn't there. They continued their conversation with my mother while I was quiet, submitted and humbled, as they methodically prepared me and then inserted the thermometer. The nurse would keep a hand on my lower back as the thermometer got its reading and I tried to fight back the humility and anxiety as both the nurse and my mother saw me getting this done. This routine led me to have butterflies every time I knew I was going for a cold or a check-up.

I got my temperature taken rectally well into my teens and I knew many others who got the same. At the doctor's office the worst thing about it was that the door was rarely closed or just partially closed, so you would be seen by anyone walking in the hallway. If 2 people were being examined together, like 2 brothers or 2 sisters, etc., when it came time to get your temperature taken the nurse would bring in another thermometer and have both kids lying face down on the table with each kid facing a different direction. It was just something you had to deal with.

I think that taking a teen's temp. rectally is unnecessarily embarrassing and degrading. The last one I had was at age 12, by my pediatrician on a home visit. He apologized to me, explaining that he only had a rectal thermometer with him from his previous home visits to small children. I had a "hot" appendix and he wanted a body temp. to check the level of infection. I got a "rebound" abdominal check from him that day and I was taken to an ER to have my appendix removed. He told my mom to give me an enema before she took me to the ER, as I would have surgery. That was 1957 and in those days, EVERYONE getting a general anesthesia got a pre-op enema.

I had rectal temps at the pediatric clinic I went to until college until I was 15 after cheating on oral. For annual checkups I was already stripped to my Jockey briefs. A nurse did vital signs and other preliminaries. The last thing was orders to lie down on my stomach and pull down my underpants as she shook down the thermometer.

When I was there for a cold or strep throat, it was not long after being led to one of the 10 exam rooms that I was face down on the exam counter with my pants down and a thermometer in my bottom.

The nurses usually left to tend to another patient while the thermometer registered. The worst aspect was the embarrassment, especially when the nurses did not close the door all the way. Each exam room had a sliding pocket door and the nurses often did not completely close them.

I got my temperature taken rectally well into my teens and I knew many others who got the same. At the doctor's office the worst thing about it was that the door was rarely closed or just partially closed, so you would be seen by anyone walking in the hallway..

I do remember that as a kid getting my temp taken rectally at home and Dr.s. when very young. I actually got it restarted as an adolescent. When I was 12 or maybe 13 I had begun to use enemas and thermometers "recreationally". When my dad made a dr's aopt. for me once, he had forgotten to tell them something. I was home sick when the office called. I'd always wanted to have it done that way at the Dr's again.

I asked the receptionist on the phone if they took rectal temperatures.

she said: "Umm they can lf ordered. Did you want him to get rectal temps? Is that the way you do it at home?

They must have mistaken me for my dad. I didn't tell them any different. and told her that "he" was used to it that way.

I'd forgotten about it until my appointment a few days later. When taken into the exam room, the office nurse told me "I'm sorry, but it looks like you get rectal temperatures. Is this something you're used to?"

I told her it was and she had me lie on the table. She undid the flimsy strap on my gown and opened it up exposing my bare bottom. left the room to get a rectal thermometer. When she returned, she had my dad in tow. She told him to go ahead and sit down, she had to get a thermometer.

I was mortified. Dad didn't react, merely sat there not saying much, even as the nurse came back in and took my temp. He did ask if we needed to get a rectal thermometer. I told him, 'I dunno" looking embarrassed I guess, because a red tipped Ballo Baby Thermometer soon showed up in the medicine cabinet, well used by me.

It never happen to me or to my girlfriend as a teen, maybe 1-2 times as a kids.

I've heard stories from my friends who had their rectal temps taken during their teens, at home and while hospitalized. Mine stopped at 5, and I was never a patient in the pediatric ward. Lucky me!

I was born in 1989 but my mom always did a rectal temp on me, especially when i was sick. She used to tell me it was for a more accurate reading so I never argued. I would lay on my stomach and she ALWAYS put a lot of Vaseline on me since I would cry from the pain otherwise. My band mates and my girlfriend still use this method for me whenever I'm sick but they always put a big gob of Vaseline on me before hand. You can say I have a very sensitive bottom.

Well normally nude