Medical ... what exactly do they do?

[Lou Lou 1]

I had my medical done at the infamous Dr Phelan's and yes they did take a quick peek to make sure I had the right bits. It happened in milliseconds so I hardly notcied what he was doing. They have to physically be able to see you are what you say you are. He also gave me a breast exam and he called for a female nurse to be present. It wouldn't have bothered me either way. Doctors have seen it all before, why on earth would anyone imagine they would bother to "take a pervy look or feel" is beyond me.

[Mand 1]

I had my medical in Cork, and the Doc (male) took my height, weight, blood pressure, listened to my heart, gave me an eye and ear exam and checked my reflexes. Then I went into another room, where I had to completely disrobe and a Nurse did a breast exam, a very brief genital exam and then she gave me the vaccines I needed. I then had to go to the Hospital to have my blood taken and a chest x-ray, the results of which were sent onto the Doctor that day, who put them into his report and into a sealed brown envelope for me to take away with me.

I wasn't any way put out, as I get a smear test done every year and these people are professionals. I had one done yesterday (as I'm pregnant) by my Doctor (male) and a female Nurse had to be present. It really is nothing to fret about at all

[Cassie 8]

When I went for my medical, I expected the full run down medical check, and it wasn't that bad at all. I had a male doctor, and his assistant was also in the room at the time ( to cover his butt if anything were to happen, most likely). There was a brief genital exam, and was minor compared to getting checked out during a gynecological visit.

[rebeccajo 14]

I had my medical done at the infamous Dr Phelan's and yes they did take a quick peek to make sure I had the right bits.

LouLou, thanks for correcting me on this. Sorry for the misinformation on my part folks.

[Kajikit 65]

Whether or not the doctor asks you to remove your underwear really seems to depend on the luck of the drawer. I really wasn't expecting it (and I wasn't happy about it one bit) but it really wasn't a drama - just a thirty-second peek downstairs to make sure I had the right girly bits I guess...

Btw, because I asked if I really HAD to and told the doc that my girly bits were not for public viewing, he told me that if I really didn't want him to check I could go to my gynaecologist or GP and get THEM to do it and to write a letter that I didn't have any STDs... but then I wouldn't have been able to get the medical over with that day so I said 'just get it over with'.

Oh and yes, he left the room while I disrobed and he called the nurse to come in and supervise the procedure. A male doctor will never examine a female's reproductive organs alone, for the safety of both parties.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

the luck of the drawer.

I'll say!

Maybe I'm missing something, but can't the US government determine your gender by looking at, oh I don't know, your BIRTH CERTIFICATE, the original of which is supplied as part of the visa process? Also, they ain't gonna determine if you have STDS by peeking -- I'm not a doctor, but I would have thought a smear test/urine test/ blood test was needed to detect most STDs?

I'm really suspicious about pervy doctors reading this "peaking at the bits" lark.

[rebeccajo 14]

the luck of the drawer.

I'll say!

Maybe I'm missing something, but can't the US government determine your gender by looking at, oh I don't know, your BIRTH CERTIFICATE, the original of which is supplied as part of the visa process? Also, they ain't gonna determine if you have STDS by peeking -- I'm not a doctor, but I would have thought a smear test/urine test/ blood test was needed to detect most STDs?

I'm really suspicious about pervy doctors reading this "peaking at the bits" lark.

The blood test handles HIV, etc. Genital warts and herpetic conditions can be easily determined by a look, and those are highly contagious.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

wouldn't that actually require a proper internal exam and not a "peek?", especially when herpes might not be visible if there is no outbreak at the time of the exam?

[Matt_Stevens 5]

I am terribly concerned for my fiancée, who lives in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. She's, shall we say, a very "traditional" girl and will flat out refuse to allow any male doctor to touch her between the legs. First of all, she is terrified of doctors and second of all, in Vietnam women only go to a gynecologist if there is a real problem. She's 25 and saw one once when she was super stressed out during college, wasn't eating right and her period stopped. The doctor was female.

Needless to say, this can really be a problem for us. I'm not about to tell her to suck it up and let a man grope her privates. That would be humiliating and traumatizing for her. She is not like a Western girl who is used to that.

I know of one case where a woman asked for a female doctor in Ho Chi Minh city and was refused. She then asked that a female nurse be present and was refused! She left in tears and her visa was denied because she could not allow herself to be what she felt was violated (She was a virgin and only her husband was to touch her with her clothes off).

Cultural differences exist and there needs to be some consistency with our government in regards to this process.

I'm praying that when my girl's examination takes place she is allowed to have a female nurse and that she is not "failed" if she has a male doctor because no way will she allow him to touch her underneath her underwear. Her breasts she can handle (pun not intended).

Edited April 7, 2006 by Matt_Stevens

[engfridak 0]

I am terribly concerned for my fiancée, who lives in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. She's, shall we say, a very "traditional" girl and will flat out refuse to allow any male doctor to touch her between the legs. First of all, she is terrified of doctors and second of all, in Vietnam women only go to a gynecologist if there is a real problem. She's 25 and saw one once when she was super stressed out during college, wasn't eating right and her period stopped. The doctor was female.

Needless to say, this can really be a problem for us. I'm not about to tell her to suck it up and let a man grope her privates. That would be humiliating and traumatizing for her. She is not like a Western girl who is used to that.

I know of one case where a woman asked for a female doctor in Ho Chi Minh city and was refused. She then asked that a female nurse be present and was refused! She left in tears and her visa was denied because she could not allow herself to be what she felt was violated (She was a virgin and only her husband was to touch her with her clothes off).

Cultural differences exist and there needs to be some consistency with our government in regards to this process.

I'm praying that when my girl's examination takes place she is allowed to have a female nurse and that she is not "failed" if she has a male doctor because no way will she allow him to touch her underneath her underwear. Her breasts she can handle (pun not intended).

Hi, girls in my country are same as vietnam girls. I have been stressed about the medical examination for many months too. I just had the exam yesterday. I was only asked to remove my bra when I had to do the chest x-ray. After that, another doctor came by ( nurse present ) asked me again to remove my bra for just a peek again and just pull down my pants till my feet for another peek. They only wants to see that you have all legs, arms, breast and ...

The blood results tell you wether the person has or not aids or syphilis. So the rest of the examination is just " an inventary rutine".

Keep talking about it with your girl and it will grow in her bit by bit. That is what is happened to me.

God Bless

[Mickndarcyjo 0]

Needless to say, this can really be a problem for us. I'm not about to tell her to suck it up and let a man grope her privates. That would be humiliating and traumatizing for her. She is not like a Western girl who is used to that.

Uh...Sorry, but us "Western girls" aren't exactly used to being humiliated or traumatized while being groped in the privates, nor do we relish the thought of going to see the ob/gyn.

I do understand her fear and trepidation though....I have empathy for the situation she's in.

[Matt_Stevens 5]

That is a gross misrepresenation of what I was saying and it is unfair of you to say it. Women in this country and most Western nations are accustomed to seeing a doctor and having an examination that in some countries could be considered evasive and humiliating for un-married women, especially when the woman has never been "touched" in certain places before and believes only her husband-to-be should touch her there.

My sister can go to the doctor and go through this exam and it will not be a big deal to her. But to my fiancee this is a major event and one that will scare the hell out of her. It WILL be traumatizing if she does not have a female doctor. I am terribly worried about this.

Edited April 7, 2006 by Matt_Stevens

[Kajikit 65]

There is no 'groping' involved. The doctor won't even touch your fiance. It's a VERY brief visual inspection and while it's not any fun to let somebody else look at your girly bits it's hardly sexual molestation... the nurse will be there.

[rebeccajo 14]

Where is ellis_island when we need him....I bet he would know what happens with the medicals in Vietnam.....

Matt, I do agree though that if you continue to discuss this lovingly with her, she will be more amenable to it. She is an educated woman - it's about communicable disease, not degredation or humiliation.

Edited April 7, 2006 by rebeccajo

[Matt_Stevens 5]

Part of the problem is that a number of girls who have gone through the process in Vietnam said they were mistreated. This comes not from VJ members, but people who I and she knows.

Mistreatment = Rude male doctors touching more than they should, or refusing to allow a female nurse to be present, or even inserting a finger, if you know what I mean.

Needless to say, if that is what she is expecting, she is going to have a heart attack. Vietnam is basically a third world country, filled with corruption and if you want to come to the US you may suffer some real BS to do it. It's not like the UK or Canada. Not even like South Korea, Japan or even Thialand.

I will talk with her in depth about it when I see her next month. I hope and pray for the best. The best would be a female doctor.

Edited April 7, 2006 by Matt_Stevens