The medical validity of this question

[Sivafae]

I recently went to my school's health center to obtain an appointment. On the intake form we had to fill in the usual medical history. On the form for basic medical information we had to give information about the usual and then what sex we were active with. Then it came to gender specific questions. Males were asked if they did the testicular cancer feely-touchy thing, and for women we had to fill out a separate form. Again all seemingly normal business. On the form for women the question were of the standard kind until i got to this question. "How many sexual partners have you had in your lifetime? ___Male ___Female" Please let me reiterate that this is an intake form, a form that you have to fill out in order to even get an appointment.
I am a 32 year old woman and seen the ob/gyn many times all over this great land, and I have yet to be asked that question. I was truly offended by the question and would like to add that the medical history for women was placed on top of the pile of forms we had to fill out. So the guy you hand the form back to would have been able to see the # of abortions a gurl has had, as well as the number of partners she has had IN HER WHOLE LIFETIME. Sure by age 22 that can't be all that many, but not everyone on campus is 22 or less.
I can see the medical validity in certain contexts of treatment, but as a intake question, I question it.
My question, is there a medically viable reason to ask this on a intake form?

there was also the question of when the last time you had sexual intercourse, which I was told had something to do with pap smears. But considering that this was form you had to fill out before you received an appointment, by the time you saw the doctor, it may be incorrect information.
For some reason I cannot but see the question as anything other than purely prurient.

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Sexual history is relevant

I understand why they asked this question.

As for confidentiality, we are supposed to trust the folks who work in these clinics to respect our privacy. If they don't, they can lose their jobs and they can be prosecuted.

[Sivafae]

2. I am glad you understand

can you explain it to me? And why don't men get asked this kind of information on an intake form?

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. I don't know that they don't get asked

I haven't seen the men's form. :)

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

3. Understand asking it, but askng for numbers?

Better question would be: Do you consider your self: het/hom/bi abstain/monog/active are you currently; active/abtain

[Sivafae]

4. exactly, they are asking for exact numbers. n/t

[BattyDem]

8. Another way to ask the questions

Are you sexually active? If the answer is "yes" ...
Do you practice safe sex?
Are you currently using a prescription form of birth control?

That's it. That's all they need to know. The number of partners and their gender is irrelevant unless there's a problem.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. I agree

but I would imagine a thorough physician is going to get the specific information out of a patient anyway,

[BattyDem]

7. I don't think they need exact numbers

and unless there's some sort of problem, I don't see why the doctor needs to know if you're a lesbian or not.

I've always been asked very general questions. The questions have only gotten specific when I had a problem.

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. yes I don't understand the sexual preferences question

unless your preferences make you more or less at risk for particular ailments.

[BattyDem]

12. Yes ... but a "safe sex" question would cover that

"Do you practice safe sex?" Straight or gay, everybody's at risk so that should cover it. The doctor can always ask for further detail if there's a problem.

What really bothers me about this is that she was asked to give all this personal information BEFORE even getting an appointment! :wtf:

I've never heard of filling out forms before getting an appointment. I could understand if they gave her an appointment, mailed her the forms and asked her to fill them out and bring them when she comes in for the appointment. It would save time on the day she sees the doctor. But if I understand correctly, she has to return the forms before even getting an appointment. What's that about? How can doctor/patient confidentiality apply if you've never seen the doctor and you're not yet his patient? :shrug:

This doesn't sound right to me. It really does sound like the doctor is screening his patients. Maybe he/she won't accept a new patient unless that patient passes a "morality" test. Doctors in private practice can refuse to see a patient - that's their right ... but this type of pre-screening before even giving someone an appointment is sexist and degrading.


edited: typo :blush:

[Captain Hilts]

15. Don't lesbians live longer? nt

[MountainLaurel]

16. It's actually quite relevant

Lesbians have a different risk level for certain diseases, from AIDS to breast cancer.

[Sivafae]

17. that has to do with which sex you enjoy not

how many partners you have had in lifetime.

I just discussed this with a professor of mine. She looks to be in her late 50's/early 60's and she had not been asked that question before.

[Warpy]

30. Sexual history is relevant

but if you've had enough partners for it to be embarrassing, you can fudge the number downward to, say, 3, which is a reasonable number for any woman who marries late. After that, it's really none of their business whether you've had two partners or twenty.

I'm sure this is aimed at identifying "she sleeps around, so let's get her on injected/implanted/IUD birth control ASAP and do a full battery of STD tests."

As for pregnancies that ended in miscarriage, abortion or live birth, those are standard for any Ob/Gyn questionaires. They need to know your ratio of live births to spontaneous or therapeutic abortion.

If anyone breaks confidentiality on any of this stuff, you can sue them, win, and get rich quick..

[BattyDem]

5. No doctor has ever had me fill out a form which asked ...

how many sexual partners I've had or what gender they were. I've also never been asked when I last had sexual intercourse and I've had plenty of pap smears done. (On Edit: Just to be clear ... I've been asked by the doctor verbally - but NEVER on a form.) My OB/GYN does ask me if I do a breast self-exam regularly, but that's a verbal question - it's not asked on the form.

Unless you're having some sort of specific problem, I don't see why the doctor needs to know the gender of who you're sleeping with or how many partners you've had.

By the way ... I've never heard of filling out a form BEFORE you get an appointment. You usually fill out the medical history form the day you see the doctor, which is why they always advise new patients to come in a little earlier than the scheduled appointment. It sounds like this doc is screening patients for morality purposes. Find a different doctor.

[Whoa_Nelly]

6. Hope you put in "A Brazillion"

That would have been my answer.


Or...

WTF?

Or, a simple ?

[barb162]

21. I like that answer! LOL

Some of the questions here in the OP seem too personal

[Control-Z]

13. My good friend is a doc

I'll run this by her at the gym Friday morning.

[Sivafae]

14. That would be awesome.

i don't feel that these questions are right either, but I am trying to find out more specific information so that I may challenge the questions confidently.

Also, this is NOT for a doctor, this is for the university health center, so they pretty much have to accept anyone who has paid their fees.

Oh, and there is no male form. Just the one question about checking for testicular cancer. Which is why I question it the most. Why do females have to give such personal information, information they may not give to sexual partners, on an intake form, and males do not.

[Lars39]

18. That sounds more like a survey than needing info for your

health and well-being. Who is actually getting the one-sided information.
Raise some hell; start asking a lot of questions about this.
I probably would have put NA down on everything if that was the only way to get an appointment.

[Control-Z]

19. I spoke with my friend this morning

*This is not medical advise - only opinion*

I spoke with my friend this morning.

She felt all of the questions were valid and important.

They were all questions that she would (and does) ask her own patients.

Her office does not make patients fill out a form of this type.

She did not see a real problem with having questionnaires of this type, however.

When I mentioned some of the concerns brought up on this board re: pre-screening, morality issues, etc. she asked, "who would do that?

Good doctors are too busy treating patients to waste their time doing morality checks. (Good doctors are too busy treating patients to know what's going on in the real world. I love my friend dearly but I'm not sure which is the case.)

She did not feel that was something you needed to worry about, however, she said if you are uncomfortable with any questions, leave those blank and DISCUSS THEM WITH YOUR DOCTOR IN PERSON.

I'm sorry I don't have more to offer.

[Sivafae]

20. I appreciate your effort.

I am still fascinated with the question of "why" however. Why is it a valid question? What is the information for and why do they need it? Why do some doctors require this information and others do not? Are the doctors that don't ask this question worse doctors? Is not the question of whether one is sexually active and what protection/birth control they use a less invasive way to get at the same information? And of course the ever popular question of why do women have to fill in this information on an intake form and men do not?

Please remember that I am asking these questions about a broad intake form, and not a more specific having to do with treatment/donation of bodily fluids form.

[Stargazer09]

23. Well, here is my answer to "Why?"

It's fairly common knowledge that when you have sex with a person, you are also being exposed to any diseases from their past (or present) sexual partners outside of your relationship, as well as any diseases that those other partners were exposed to, and so on. Thus, the more partners, the more chances that you are going to be exposed to STDs, some of which do not cause symptoms, particularly in females.

I'm not a doctor, nor do I even work in the medical field. I have seen a LOT of doctors in my time, though. I am faithful about getting my annual female exams done, so I fill out forms quite regularly. I have NEVER been asked for the kind of details that you've been asked, particularly not at a university health clinic, and especially not before I actually had an appointment. Personally, that whole questionnaire stinks. You should not have to fill out that sort of information on a screening form, especially if you are not yet officially a patient there (and may not have privacy rights). Men are just as likely to get STDs from multiple partners, and therefore, they should have to answer the same questions if females are being required to answer them. There is no reason whatsoever for women to fill out such personal information on an intake form, and it is especially wrong for men not to be asked the same questions. I also don't like the fact that they leave your filled-out form on the counter for anyone to read. That is WRONG. The information on that form is private information, and it should be treated as such.

Answering a question about self-examinations is okay. Both genders need to examine their respective body parts to screen for suspicious lumps. Doctors do need to know this, so they can either provide appropriate education or congratulate the individual on caring about their health enough to do this.

No, I don't believe that doctors who don't ask these questions are worst doctors. Typically, an annual exam consists of a pap smear and other screenings for STDs, since it never hurts to run the extra tests to be on the safe side. You may be monogamous, but who says that your significant other is? Doctors don't really need to know the details about your sex life unless a problem comes up, and even then, they don't really need to know too much. If you have an STD, for instance, they will ask you about your current relationship(s), because your partner(s) will need to be treated. Otherwise, it's none of their business.

All you should be asked, and this really should be asked by the doctor, not on a form, is whether or not you are sexually active. If so, are you using birth control or willing to become pregnant? They need to know this in order to help you make informed decisions about birth control and/or preparing for a possible pregnancy. There is absolutely no reason for you to be required to tell them (or even to be asked) about the date of your last sexual encounter. I would never provide that information. It's none of their business.

It sounds to me that your clinic is being sexist and possibly setting up college women for harrassment. As much as we hate it, there is still a double standard out there. You are seeing that first hand. My advice is to ignore the questions on the form, and if your doctor has a problem with that, they can ask you the questions in person.

Good luck! :hi:

[Sivafae]

24. I still go with the adage, "if it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't"

And again, I know that you are not a doctor, and most women I ask aren't. I think the forms are sexist, and that question needs to be removed. I asked a friend of mine who has been active with all of 2 people, and she didn't mind the question. But then again, she is just turned 18 and I am 32 going on 33.

But the thing is that you may have been a virgin when you got married, but didn't know that you married a bi-sexual man. So now you have only had sex with one person your whole life and have every disease in the book because he is not careful when he fucks other men.

Another thing, I am quite sure that any doctor would feel that any question they asked has some medical validity. They are the doctor right? The problem starts when I start asking the hard questions. Like what if you are a stripper, and grinding the back row has lead many men to finish on you, are those sexual partners you should include? Or how about if they don't finish, should you include those? What exactly defines a sexual partner? What if you are a whore? Do whores count the number of men they have been with? How do they think some of those women are paying for their college education? I don't think that the person who came up with that form is dealing with the real reality that some of the women on campus are really dealing with in their lives. All the gurls on campus are suzy prissy honey that came from the perfect norman rockwell home. No one has ever been sexually abused, and do you count your sexual abuser as a sexual partner? How would it make you feel if you had to consider that?

I have so many questions you have no idea.

[CrispyQ]

22. Years ago at my annual pap smear the nurse left a questionnaire

& told me to fill it out. It very similar to the one you write about. I was so pissed off I left the office & never went back. And you know what? I have never seen a questionnaire like that since!

[LetsThink]

25. PURE INVASION OF PRIVACY---

That information can be shared, when relevant, with the treating physician. There is NO REASON for that information to be on an intake form! NONE!

CALL A LAWYER AND SEE ABOUT FILING A SUITE IF YOU'VE BEEN DENIED SERVICE FOR NOT COMPLETING THE QUESTIONNAIRE.

Also..... there's a little thing called the hippocratic oath.....

[Quantess]

26. The only reason they've been getting away with this question

is because the clientele is young and doesn't talk back. That's my guess.
Asking how many abortions is also inappropriate. It is common to ask how many pregnancies, however.

Is this a state school or a private school, just curious?

[LetsThink]

27. But........ not on an intake form......May go in the medical record....

... and is something the medical personnel normally ask only in consultation. CERTAINLY NOT the number of partners one may have had in an entire lifetime... How does that belong on an intake form?

[Quantess]

28. You're right, it doesn't.

You understand why I asked if it's a state school or a private school, don't you? I was thinking that a privately funded school would be more likely to be ...um...er....opinionated, or judgmental.

[shimmergal]

29. Sounds to me as if they're cooperating with

somebody's research project. Esp. since they're a univ. health service.

Still, I'm pretty sure that disseminating the questionnaire the way they're doing it is unethical, if not illegal. Most universities have committees which have to approve any studies involving human subjects for things like informed consent, privacy concerns etc. Doesn't sound like that's happened here. I definitely think you need to ask some questions.