Morning
"I've been following your blog for quite a while now. I'm a General Practitioner PCP and I'm met with shock and embarrassment when I ask new male patients questions about their sexual wellness (erection and ejaculation issues), or tell them to take off their clothes for a physical exam (testicular and prostate). All my questions and exams are tailored to their life stage. I've asked my colleagues and only a few do this. Women get (or should) annual pap smears and vaginal inspections and mammograms. Why is it so odd to do a complete workup on men? My question for your readers is does your doctor ask those questions or do those exams during an annual physical?"
Thanks for reading --- I hope you'll correct me if I ever hand out wrong information. I think you're doing the right thing. Too many guys are afraid to even broach those subjects with their doctors. Actually, they're afraid of popping a boner in front of you. That may seen silly to you as a doctor, but it's most likely the truth. By initiating the conversation, you are doing them a great service.
Only one doctor used to routinely ask about my erections and ejaculations, and would check my balls and prostate. Not anymore. I guess they figure I'm too old, or I'd be telling them if there were issues.
27 comments:
My PCP, a woman, completes those tests and asks those questions once a year. And I know that I can bring up a sexual issue during any visit between the annual exam. And yes, the physical part of the exam is a bit uncomfortable, but they are part of being healthy.
My PCP always asks about general issues, but my urologist is the one that does the prostate exams. My PCP knows this, so that's why she probably concentrates on other issues?
Also, everybody over thirty should have a urologist. All my girls have a PCP AND a gynecologist...
Also, all my physicians (and my dentist) are women. It's very liberating.
XOXO
Constantly. Every visit. I see her twice a year. I bring things up. She's a very sex-positive physician and that's why I have stuck with her. She's also very kind and non-judgmental. I don't know why anyone would give money to a physician who was not sex-positive, as it's such a huge part of our lives.
My last PCP never asked about my sexual wellness. A walk-in clinic doctor found a problem and cancer surgery fixed it. Still getting to know my new PCP.
My PC Doctor does not. He was a former student, and I do feel comfortable talking with him. Had a skintag right on my leg next to my balls. When he went to remove it and stich it up, he asked if I wanted to hold my balls out of the way or get a nurse. He had all female nurses so I decided I would hold them myself. He doesn't broch the subject, but if I have questions would not be afraid to ask. He is very open.
My doctor stopped doing full body exams years ago. I don't get undressed or have testicular or prostate exams anymore. They just rely on blood and urine samples to tell them if anything is wrong. I wish they were still more thorough, like checking for moles and other skin conditions. But now it's all down to time constraints and insurance nonsense.
Nope. Only one of my last three primary care physicians checked my prostate, and none of them have checked my testicles. They all seemed to rely on blood tests to diagnose prostate problems. The one PCP only checked my prostate because I complained about problems urinating.
It's my opinion that male sexual wellness and health in general is age related. I doubt that many men 30 and under have questions about their sexual prowess and a number of men from 30 to 50 never consider an annual checkup for various reasons. It appears the latest research shows the problems inherent with the male plumbing are affecting younger men and should warrant a yearly exam to catch those problems as early as possible. At the Methuselah-ish age of 77 I wanted to still enjoy sex and took the proactive route with my doctor and discussed my ED with him. He listened and we decided together that I could try the "boner pill" and determine its efficacy. The lowest dosage had no effect but increasing the dosage did the trick and I am enjoying good erections that last again, albeit with a stuffed-up head and a rosy complexion for a few hours. When I saw him at the follow-up appointment he asked me, "How's that sildenafil working for you?" I've a good doctor and men should not be ashamed or embarrassed to discuss any sexual health issue with their doctors. They are our friends and proponents in these matters.
No, used to but not anymore.
Nope. My doctor has never asked. He's actually never seen me naked. I sometimes feel like it may be laziness on his part because he does the minimal amount of work during our meetings. I do have lousy insurance, so it may be that he's aware that he needs to keep my costs low. I am turning 62 in July, so it feels awkward to talk about these things.
Not my GP. I save those questions for my Urologist. Had questions last visit. He was at the hospital. Saw a young, very attactive female PA. Not being the shy one I asked her how many men my age are as hard as when they were kids and could keep a harem happy. She said I'm in the "that's unusual" category. She asked if she could examine my prostate. I said thought they didn't do that anymore.. She said she's found cancer doing it, DON'T BE SHY. THEY'VE HEARD AND SEEN IT ALL. BTW I'm 84
Good question... Following prostate problems 10 years ago, my doctor performed several rectal exams, rest assured it doesn't make you hard. I had surgery, and everything has been fine since. He knows I'm gay and he's also my boyfriend's doctor. We talk about erection problems, libido, but I've never had a check-up. I don't know if I should ask, it would be easier if he suggested it... But keep going, it's good...
Jeff
Bordeaux
Nope. Not mine.
My doctor has never asked about erections or ejaculations. He's never even seen me naked even during an annual physical. That's been going on for many years now. I guess I just assumed there were changes in the medical field and those types of exams weren't done any more.
My PCP is willing to discuss the subject, but he always waits for me to bring up any issues first.
No, never have I had that type of questioning. Feel it should be routine, next time I am in, I am going to ask.
I get an annual “questionnaire”, but that replaced an actual annual physical exam. The questionnaire will ask about your sexual activity, and preference for partner.Now it is just temperature, blood pressure, and cursory checks on heart and lungs. They also do a complete blood work up that I think is meant to spot potential problems.
I guess the for-profit healthcare system has decided it’s cheaper to be on the defensive instead of the offensive. Hugs and bisous.
I guess I've been lucky because every doctor I've ever had, male or female, has asked the questions and done the examinations, at least on a yearly basis, and sometimes more.
I have no issues with my doctor checkups. I usually am down to my underwear, and then they are off for the final two exams. My doctor sounds much like the commenter writing in. I have even gotten hard during the exam and my doctor always puts me at ease. Everyone these days is so uptight about being naked anymore, it's just ridiculous. How can a doctor do an exam with fully clothed persons???
I'm of the opinion that men generally think "if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it", where broke=catastrophic breakdown, because historically men have been required to get the job done to support society regardless of impediment: in effect to soldier on and sacrifice themselves for society because men are considered disposable. Who would have thought men deserve the same quality of life, care and attention as women?
I've never had a male GP ask about sexual issues, let alone a female GP, beyond those I have initiated myself and even then, I got the impression "why are you bothering me with such insignificant things when people are dying?".
With age it gets even worse, with a prostate exam only used for medical concerns, never as part of an interested question over sexual function and quality of life and always done in as perfunctory and uncomfortable way as possible lest the patient actually discover an additional source of pleasure, or raise a sexual assault charge. Or medical health automatically put ahead of sexual function as though a few more years of life was worth losing that important aspect of quality of life.
I have even had a male GP tell me that sex was overrated for sexual function to be worth pursuing with increasing age. Why would I raise concerns with people who don't seem to care?
I'm not convinced that women GPs can even identify with the male perspective to be able to discuss any issues without it becoming about their subjective feelings.
Finally, it is disturbing that society hasn't educated men about all the avenues of pleasure open to them and been reluctant even about the basic vanilla one, as if sex was only about reproduction and nothing else. In fact male sexual pleasure has historically been suppressed as evil versus its role in reproduction with various attempts to dissuade even masturbation; and I can't help thinking that circumcision has its roots in suppressing pleasure too in lieu of more "important" considerations including sacrifice to the needs of society rather than the individual. The medical profession focusing primarily on reproductive capability rather than male pleasure, to this day, doesn't help: premature ejaculation was always about cumming too quickly to satisfy a partner, with erectile dysfunction also viewed from that perspective rather than from the pleasure needs of the man.
Sex for men has rarely been in service to pleasure for the man, except as a by-product, but to other concerns of society including self-sacrifice. Now it has become in service of women's subjective feelings and choice only, with the man himself largely ignored.
I'm still too young for a prostate exam, but I do get asked about erections and such.
My PCP (female) did, and when it was determined that my testosterone levels were dropping, she referred me to a Men's Health practitioner within the same health complex for ongoing exams and treatment. I meet with him annually for a full exam.
It was probably in my 40's that I got over my modesty and any embarrassment on talking about my genitals and functionality. In the aughts, my old PCP passed away and I found my current doctor (female). Never had any issues talking about bodily functions.
Might be different depending on country but it seems to be phased out through effectiveness of blood tests and OHS/Workplace Relations laws.
We have a few people in the family who are either nurses or doctors and they have all said the full body examinations are being phased out and if they are to be carried out there are strict guidelines that they have to follow.
Insurance would be another factor.
Women have PCP, urologist and gynecologist whilst men only have PCP and urologist: I have not come across an andrologist for men to create equality.
I think the risks of accusation of sexual assault or grooming have caused the medical profession to reduce situations where that might more easily happen. I believe that is why prostate exams are done in a manner that is deliberately uncomfortable and minimising time.
I would be interested to know if prostatitis is being treated more through medication and less through prostate massage by a professional, for this reason, or whether it is being encouraged more as DIY.
Never. I used to see my family doctor, who was very Christian and conservative. After he died, I changed doctors with a much younger man and he started asking me questions that my old doctor never even dreamed of. But I'm only 36.
My testosterone levels are only just above the minimum and yet my GP (woman) was not inclined to take it further, insisting on the threshold despite low testosterone having consequences even above the threshold. I should probably find a new GP, but it isn't that easy having to go through my entire history again as they refuse to read the records because it would take too much time they aren't getting paid for.
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