The medical validity of this question [View All]

[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.