Ungloved exam

The female dr who did my last exam did not use a glove for the inspection and hernia exam. She volunteered to give me a DRE (which was not part of the required physical), after she noticed what happened after the inspection. She did use a glove for the DRE, which i felt she needed to do to relieve me of the situation she had put me in.

Many years back when latex allergies were uncommon, many a medical office did not have non latex exam gloves, instruments, supplies etc. At the time, those items were also quite a bit more expensive. During those years, I did receive exams and such without gloves. The physician would explain the risk. They washed their hands very well right before and right after the exam was completed.

I am VERY grateful for the catch up in medicine for those with latex sensitivity and full blown latex allergy with non latex gloves etc!!! Don't mistake the color of a glove for being made or not made out of latex or how it stretches. Those with this sensitivity, allergy must always be proactive to avoid interaction with latex if at all possible.

Andie

In my opinion the doctor should use glove and a hygiene issue

Never had a doctor not wear gloves for a genital exam

Wow. I’m sure your doctor enjoyed that to the fullest. Were you a virgin at that time?

Many years ago, my dentist worked on me ungloved and without any other protection. In recent years, dentists have been wearing full PPE.

I also remember when I first had colon hydrotherapy, the therapist said “I wear gloves the whole time for both my protection and yours.” Seems only appropriate.

I've heard physicians say that there are some exams where the quality and effectiveness of the palpation can be impacted when gloves are used, as for a breast exam, for instance.

I've heard physicians say that there are some exams where the quality and effectiveness of the palpation can be impacted when gloves are used, as for a breast exam, for instance.

It is a reality in gynecology, gloves are not used throughout the consultation.

For palpation of the breasts first of all, indeed the touch is better with bare hands.

Then, for the placement of the speculum and the taking of the smear, we will obviously put on gloves.

Then, for the vaginal examination, we will be satisfied with a finger cot that we will take care to change before the recto-vaginal examination.

At the beginning of the consultation, in order to respect the conditions of optimal hygiene, the practitioner must wash his hands carefully and rub them with a hydroalcoholic solution.

As for protections, it is preferable to use nitrile because you have to be wary of the risk of latex allergies.

I'm pretty sure my first vulva exam was done without gloves.

Was it purely a visual examination or do you recall if labia were separated / any internal element.

Essentially any contact with mucosal surface or bodily fluid gloves should be used to protect patiet and examiner anything else gloves don't need to he used and gloves are no substitue for good habd hygiene.

My bimanual examinations are everytime done with gloves. Speculum, cervical smears and external (vulva) exams are with gloves everytime too. Only my breasts exams are without gloves.

I had an ungloved genital exam, oh, 10 years or so. I was on my back on the table with my belt undone, pants unfastened and unzipped, but otherwise fully clothed.

He listened to and felt my abdomen under my shirt. And then with no warning whatsoever, he reached into my underwear and exposed my penis and scrotum for the exam, all without a glove. Pretty terrific experience.

Same doctor who then insisted on demonstrating how he wanted me to lean over the table with my toes pointed inward for the rectal exam.

I can't imagine in this day and age, with things as they are in terms of disease, a doctor NOT wearing gloves for almost any part of a physical exam. Seems quite unhealthy for both the doctor and the patient.

Wow that's just not right. I can understand the doctor not wearing gloves when he or she wouldn't need to but not wearing gloves for the genital exam and rectal is just gross. My urologist always wears gloves when he's examining my genitals and doing a rectal. I would go to a different urologist if he didn't wear gloves

I would insist on new exam gloves being used for any exam involving touching the genitals, or entering the rectum or vagina.

The only time I haven’t used gloves is with my husband. Maybe a time or two a sex charged spur of the moment finger poke up his rear (prostate) just before orgasm…..and vice versa he’s put his finger up my rectum or vagina purely out of sexual excitement. That’s fine between couples, but not in a medical setting.

@Nurse Nikki Agree 100%!

My pediatrician always did the genital exam without gloves. I remember his hands retracting my penis and examinating the glans. He then washed his hands in a handbasin in front of the examination table.

My pediatrician always did the genital exam without gloves. I remember his hands retracting my penis and examinating the glans. He then washed his hands in a handbasin in front of the examination table.

My pediatrician did the same. She never used gloves, only washed her hands. The first time I had to deal with examination gloves was during military examinations. The woman who was supposed to examine me told me to take off my panties. As I undressed, I saw that she was wearing gloves. I thought this study would be thorough. After a while, I felt her gloved hand rubbing my testicles. Then she examined my penis. Finally, she put something slippery on her finger and examined me through my rectum. The pediatrician never examined me rectally.

Gloves always

I'm old enough to remember when A doc being gloved was a rare thing . A doc putting on gloves meant there might be blood , Or bodily fluid's being “expressed” . To tell the truth I would rather be handled bare handed rather than the impersonable glove . And no I didn't walk with dinosaurs , I think they all died off a week before I was born .

I've read testimonies from former inmates of girls' "reform schools" called the Bon Pasteurs, which existed in France until the 1960s. They were run by nuns, and "wayward girls" were sent there. All incoming girls received an examination that was most likely officially for venereal diseases, but was more like a virginity check. And some former inmates report it was done by a male doctor that did not even bother wearing gloves (they don't give details but from it seems he rammed his finger inside). Other report being "examined" by a nun.

Like I commented a while ago, that's just wrong in my opinion. If a urologist or regular doctor is not wearing gloves for a genital exam or a rectal, the patient should request that they should wear gloves

Like it is said in a message below, I am rather old and I have very commonly be examined for genitals by doctors who did not put gloves on their hands, in the past it was very uncommon to have a doctor with gloves even to palpate the balls , to lift the penis , to turn it ( at school, I have never seen a lady doctor using gloves )

same at pre-induction physical examinations or draft physical examination in front of the draft board commission until 1966 in France , the military doctors in the two situations performed an exam on draftees in the nude and it was a complete exam, so thre was a thorough genital exam which was done by the miltary doctor , rather an old one without gloves , even for a visual inspection of the anus hole, he put his hands on each cheek of butt and spread them widely without gloves and later at the pre-induction center where I have had my first rectal exam with fingers in the rectum, I do not remember that the military doctor had gloves , I don't think so , he might use his fingers without gloves and wash his hands after in a sink on the back of the room

Years back late eighties early nineties, I can remember two different occasions by two different doctors neither bothered to put gloves on. One I had went in to get checked out. I had gotten hit in the right testicle by the quick coupler on a air hose. The nurse who took my vitals, after she was done laid out everything she thought the doctor was going to need a pair of exam gloves and a small bottle of lubricant. When he came in the room he asked me what was going on and I told him. He told me to stand up and drop my pants and underwear. He never used either of the two things that she had laid out for him. He didn't bothered to put the gloves on, he checked my testicles out quick and sent me to get a ultrasound.

The other occasion was during a employment physical. The doctor had me laying on my back for the abdominal exam. When he was finished with it. He told me to take my pants and underwear down to mid thigh and then went ahead and checked me for a hernia not bothering to put gloves on. I don't remember thinking much about it either time. I just figured it was their choice.

All medical visits I go to the nurses and doctors wear gloves. But I recall my pediatrician didn’t always wear gloves. And I distinctly remember how soft and warm his hands were. None of my pediatric exams were internal or invasive btw.

In play exams I’m submissive and let the “doctor” decide but I much prefer skin on skin contact. No gloves.

Gloves for all my exams since I stopped going to the pediatrician around the time I started high school.

I began practicing in the 70s. Gloving isn't something we had been taught. I wore gloves for rectal and pelvic exams only. By the end of my practice years I gloved whenever there was any genital touching. The Medical Board of California once issued a public reprimand to a physician for not wearing gloves tho the reprimand didn't say anything about the actual offense.