tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post7442056155126395465..comments2022-12-12T10:49:47.419-05:00Comments on Patient Modesty & Privacy <center>Concerns</center>: Young children and modesty by Holly GoodwinJoel Sherman MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15302609163683972129noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-79005258897984839622015-09-22T23:23:31.284-04:002015-09-22T23:23:31.284-04:00The course of my life was also changed forever the...The course of my life was also changed forever the day I went through a VCUG. I walked out of the room knowing my mind was broken, knowing I would never trust or feel safe again. Also from that day I carried inside the knowledge that I was bad girl because I had been beside myself at the horror of what was happening to me, deeply shamed not just by the humilation of the procedure but also in having been yelled at for not coping with the violation. I held my head low from that day forward knowing I could no longer see myself as the big, brave girl I needed to believe myself to be. I had PTSD throughout my childhood, went on to develop Anorexia Nervosa which nearly cost me my life, and have struggled with major depression my whole life. I can only grieve for the person I might have become had I not faced this trauma in my formative years, trauma that is now compared to "violent rape"in the literature. It is inexcusable that children could be treated in this way.<br /><br />September 22, 2015 at 11:20 PMAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06493912879516970852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-84041174463578463122015-07-04T23:28:04.354-04:002015-07-04T23:28:04.354-04:00This site, its articles and these stories I've...This site, its articles and these stories I've read are all a godsend . Seriously. I am 24 now and I had these same exams\tests done to me as a young child. My mom told me it was necessary and not up to me, but I didn't believe her that it was OK to let ppl touch me "there". I felt extremely violated and ashamed. I cried and wanted to die. I felt unclean in the sight of others. It hurt so much. Physically and mentally. Children should have more rights and the option to say no and be respected for it. By parents and doctors. Period. I am so sorry for all of you who have had to endure this as kids and had no choice in the matter. PTSD and physical side effects from these tests and procedures and exams are real. I am one of the victims. This needs to change for our children today. <br />Ty. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-7208408625273318012014-10-18T10:52:06.462-04:002014-10-18T10:52:06.462-04:00I agree with you sedation should be standerd I...I agree with you sedation should be standerd I'm sorry for your experience same thing happened to me in 2006 then I saw studies that compared it to rape nothing really different I'm going through PTSD I have even made my teacher cry from writing about it thank for sharing and go ahead stand up for those kids out thereAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-90869839955060268012014-10-14T00:53:46.228-04:002014-10-14T00:53:46.228-04:00As a 4 year old I received a 2 Voided Cystourethro...As a 4 year old I received a 2 Voided Cystourethrograms due to reoccurring urinary tract infections. I am now 18 years old and suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. I remember vivid details from this procedure including being afraid, in pain, and being held down and having my legs forced open. Quickly after the procedures I began to act out and become destructive. My mother could not understand why and took me to see a child psychiatrist who diagnosed me with ADHD (neither the doctor or my mother even thought about the incident being a reason why I could have been acting out) and I was forced to take ADHD medications until I was in high school. The memories always haunted me but I still never spoke out about them until I was 17 years old. After 13 years of feelings helpless I finally came out to a therapist about what had happened and my feelings regarding the situation. Even though I go to therapy once a week, it is hard to forgive and forget about the situation. Simple things like going to the gynecologist or have sexual intercourse for me are always traumatizing events that drop me into a serious depression for about a week after. My therapist usually accompanies me to the Gynecologist just to get me through it emotionally but I still never feel safe. Now, I didn’t write all of this out as a sob story for you guys but merely a lesson. I don’t see a lot of stories or testimonies about this traumatic exam so I wanted to speak out as someone who has gone through this procedure. Even though this happened in 2001, I do believe that if the patient is showing distress that the appointment should be cancelled and they should reschedule for a later date so that they can talk about sedating the child. Daniellenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-49854608445934894942014-08-15T16:53:00.721-04:002014-08-15T16:53:00.721-04:00I wish my parents were as understanding as you I h...I wish my parents were as understanding as you I have white coat syndrome because of vcug and also when my pediatrician took my underwear off w\o my consent they did not tell me the doc would do that <br /><br />They said it was no big deal SHAME ON ADULTS WHO DON'T CARE OR SAY IT IS NO BIG DEALAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-13352929075678634632014-08-13T14:44:16.304-04:002014-08-13T14:44:16.304-04:00Oy my god someone finally realized the pain YAY OK...Oy my god someone finally realized the pain YAY OK so when I was 6 I needed a vcug I did not know what to expect at all I was called into a room and they told me to strip and wear a gown so I did, soon I had to lay down and show them my privates which was so embarrassing I was going to cry OK after they wiped my private with soap I started to ball when they put the thing in I was crying cause the soap burned and it was uncomfortable for the thing to be shoved in also I was intensley embarrassed it was the first time I had to show my privates to someone other than my mom. I was frightened to. After that I started to develop fears of doctors, I wish they were more carefulAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-84836313734801283982014-01-22T11:15:51.626-05:002014-01-22T11:15:51.626-05:00I'm seeing a frequent error being made by some...I'm seeing a frequent error being made by some of the docs and patients (traumatized people) on this issue. It seems as if some people are only concerned about male doctor/young female patient, then female doctor/young male patient... the comments are that the fact that a woman touching a young boy could traumatize him... however, I don't think that in my case I would have been traumatize had the doctor actually been a woman. There is a certain natural trust that young children have of women (the maternal factor right?). <br /><br />So there is another dimension also that some of you folks seem to be oblivious to and that is male doctor/young male patient with the mom standing there watching the whole thing. This happened to me at 7 years old and I have never had a healthy sexuality as a result of it, and I have also never recovered from the trauma despite attempts to do it. To this day, I hate my mom with an uncontrollable rage, and if I were to see that doctor again, I sometimes wonder if I wouldn't end up in prison. So, needless to say I live on the other side of the country.<br /><br />Yes, I know that sounds radical, but hey, I have PTSD because this guy fondled me when I was seven years old... some kids take it well, unfortunately, some of us don't. His fault. Not mine. I have inquired where the origin of this exam came from and because no one seems to know, I greatly fear that perverts began justifying this at some point, and for some reason, some 'scientific necessity' was published, and it caught on. I know that this scenario seems far-fetched, but those of you who are affiliated with the AMA in some form... why don't you try to investigate the origin of this yourselves? I can't get any answers! I honestly believe that the scientific community, especially in medicine, could be fooled under the guise of medical protocol and even at something this big.<br /><br />I don't find people who work in the fields of health science to be very genuinely empathetic to other people. I think they know how to 'fake it.' They don't appear to me to have a serious heartfelt compassionate nature. Probably though this correlates directly to their ability to focus on menial, tiny, microscopic factors that would just bore the general population to death. Hence, they don't think on a personal level, as in, the whole person... meaning the long term social, psychological health also! They appear to me to be overly pragmatists and this is unfortunate to say the least.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-90541242806181289532013-08-04T21:55:10.511-04:002013-08-04T21:55:10.511-04:00...re-establish proper sexual boundaries?
NO.
I ......re-establish proper sexual boundaries?<br /><br />NO.<br /><br />I was abused and learned I was not supposed to have sexual boundaries.<br /><br />I had to build them myself in my 30's.<br /><br />It's time the medical profession took some responsibility for traumatizing people in the name of expediency/profit.<br /><br />Enough.<br />Peace.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-27571892627120353392013-08-04T21:04:39.013-04:002013-08-04T21:04:39.013-04:00...just wanted to add (I'm the 42-y-o 'ano......just wanted to add (I'm the 42-y-o 'anonymous' woman):<br />-- any healthy physical/sexual boundaries were shattered by the VCUG. <br />-- I was lured by a pedophile into an alley by my house while he was jacking off at me...went home & told my mom, no response from her.<br />-- Same thing with a man in a car at my college parking lot when I was 19.<br />-- When I became sexually active, I let men do things I didn't want, for years...<br />-- I was targeted by a date-raper in college and escaped from underneath him.<br />-- I didn't re-establish proper sexual boundaries until my 30's<br />-- I still have constructs of control and domination that stain my interior sexual life/experience/expression<br /><br />And no, I cut off contact with my parents -- finally -- last year after they were again unable to support me during & after my neck surgery (catheterized against expressed consent, 10-day suicide episode).<br /><br />Yeah, I wouldn't wish this life on my worst enemy, and a few times a year it becomes too much for me and I lose hope of ever being happy in my skin.<br /><br />Peace.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-14923965341939908222013-08-04T20:48:43.920-04:002013-08-04T20:48:43.920-04:00...con't...
I do not really associate myself ......con't...<br /><br />I do not really associate myself with my body, so self-care is my main task now at 42. I knew I could never go through the process of childbirth because of all the triggers, so I have never had children and never will. I have always had sexual dysfunction and still do -- I have to get up and pee 3-4 times during sex or I cannot do it. <br /><br />I tried to get more dr. records but it was too late, I wrote to a doctor still in my pediatrician's office and she said they never sent kids for VCUGs for bedwetting (great help she was). I had to have neck surgery last year and demanded from everyone at the hospital that I *NOT* be catheterized -- which was acknowledged by my lead nurse -- but they did it anyway. I went home with a raw urethra, clitoris, labia, and a raging infection started. I went into a 10-day suicide attack, one of the ugliest of my life. <br /><br />I have managed to have a pap smear about every 8 years...with drugs...with legwarmers, blankets, etc...have to find a doctor who will understand and support me and I cry the entire exam, etc.<br /><br />This "uncomfortable procedure" has put a stain on my entire sense of self, my growing up, my adult life, my inability to have children -- everything. <br /><br />I still battle with wanting to die.<br />I would rather have died at 7 than have this be my life.<br /><br />Our society doesn't value little girls unless they're compliant and allow themselves to be degraded. There are many many MANY more of us out there -- mostly women, but some men. When I was 24 and started remembering the VCUGs, I first thought it was ritual abuse until the pieces became clearer. <br /><br />No kid should have to go through this just to make adults comfortable. But that's what it is.<br /><br />Peace.<br /><br />http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10196917Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-11926591129348609972013-08-04T20:48:22.782-04:002013-08-04T20:48:22.782-04:00I appreciate your article very much. I had 2 VCUG...I appreciate your article very much. I had 2 VCUGs when I was 7 in 1979. ...for bedwetting...no UTIs....<br /><br />Mom handed me over to 2 xray techs (1 man, 1 woman) and the horror that has defined my life began. The man told me they were going to "fix my bedwetting," so I knew all of the pain of the procedure was my fault. I kicked, fought, screamed, and cried, and they put me in 4-point restraints with my legs spread, totally naked, on a steel table, with incredibly bright lights over me & a huge camera over me. The catheter felt like a knife cutting my vagina...I couldn't lift my head enough to see it. They overfill your bladder until it hurts. I still have anxiety, after 25 years of therapy (I'm 42), when my bladder gets too full. I refused to piss myself on this table...so the man pushed my bladder down with his hands to start the urine flow. Then the sobbing shame and pictures being taken the whole time. I walked out to a smiling mom I didn't want to disappoint (the bedwetting was a huge problem for them). I cried when I got home and peed because I thought they were gonna make it so that I wouldn't pee anymore. I remember telling my mom that my vagina hurt, and she said "well it SHOULDN'T." They didn't get good pictures, so I was taken back for the second VCUG. All I remember about that trip was locking myself in the "changing room" (stripping room, really, since there was no gown involved). I refused to strip and I refused to come out for anyone but my mom. The woman told me that my mom was the one who brought me there and wanted me to do this, and that if I didn't, she was going to leave. me. there.<br /><br />Please DON'T think that VCUGs today are any better. I've done research on this over years, and the care is only minimally better on average. Do your homework and find pediatricians with psychological support/exercises you can do with your child before procedures, and NEVER leave them.<br /><br />Trauma behaviors mark my life from age 7 onward. I still have trouble sleeping in a bed when I am stressed, and when I am triggered into a PTSD episode I still curl up in my closet (yes, at 42, after 25 years of therapy). Unfortunately my parents punished me for what were signs of trauma: refusing to sleep in bed, sleeping in closet, sleeping in hallway under the only light left on at night, panic attacks, fight-or-flight episodes, fear of doctors. When I was 10 I realized that I was having panic attacks and started drinking alcohol, suicidal by 12, in therapy by 13. It's a downward spiral from there till 26. I was finally diagnosed with medically-induced PTSD in 2003 (at 32), take medication for it, and have done 10 years of trauma therapy so far.<br /><br />...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-26099364545755543492013-06-19T18:43:18.864-04:002013-06-19T18:43:18.864-04:00I am saddened and also relieved to learn that I am...I am saddened and also relieved to learn that I am not alone in my struggles with PTSD from my experiences undergoing VCUGs once a year for 5 years until the age of 8 or 9. <br />Anxiety, depression, and dissociation have been common threads in my life. I have been in therapy for 5 years and all of these threads began with my experiences in that hospital room.<br />I am a woman of 36 and, because of my experiences with this medical procedure as a young child, I am unable to enjoy any kind of pleasurable sensation during intimate moments with a lover. The part of my brain that registers pleasurable sensations from the genital region of my body only lets me feel them when I am by myself.<br />If your child is in need of a VCUG, please educate them about the procedure, teach them how to self-soothe and self-hypnotize themselves, hold their hand through the procedure, validate their emotions and their physical pain.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-78016450289932466712013-06-17T19:25:19.277-04:002013-06-17T19:25:19.277-04:00So shocked reading the above. I thought I was the ...So shocked reading the above. I thought I was the only one with ptsd following vcug. Had one single vcug aged 6. Horrific experience, worst thing in my entire life... the intense searing pain (I actually felt as if I had left my body), the feeling of being held down by so many grown ups, the shock and overwhelming sense of violation. Sort of repressed the memory until my 20s when it came back in flashbacks. 20s were a complete mess... depression, anxiety, lots of self-harming, suicide attempts. I knew, at the back of my mind, that it was to do with this, but didn't want to say to anyone as didn't.think I could explain why something so routine affected me so deeply. Constantly seeing the scene from my vcug replayed over and over in my head. Panic attacks. Have had a lot of therapy for it now. Obviously not enough, otherwise I wouldn't be researching this stuff still. The thing that panics me still is knowing that this still goes on. And that hospital patient information leaflets (on the internet) describe it only as discomfort, whereas if you look further, you find.academic research where they literally studied the effects of vcug on children as a substitute for child rape (as they obviously couldn't rape children as part of s scientific study, yet wanted to study the longterm effects of such things on memory repression etc). Please, I personally need to stop thinking about and reading about this stuff, I can feel myself go into.state of panic and not being able to breathe from all of this. But can those.of you who are strong please find a way to.change what goes on nowadays... at the very least change the Wikipedia page to highlight the research that I just mentioned. I honestly didn't realise that there were others with ptsd from vcug and other violations, I gave that diagnosis to myself and now I read your forum this evening.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-2958333874124966702012-10-30T15:43:24.116-04:002012-10-30T15:43:24.116-04:00continued....
I mean really adults get relaxers a...continued.... <br />I mean really adults get relaxers and laughing gas when they get a tube stuck up their ass. this is a much more traumatizing and painful test that gets done to children. even listed in the side effects that can be caused by the test is traumatization to the child under going it. the way this test is preformed needs to stop. it NEEDs to be reevaluated so it doesn't cause lasting affects I speak from experience. but again no one believes me I need help getting people to see.<br />I believe that all children above the age of 4 should be sedated for this procedure bc this is when memories really start to be made by the child. also by this age the children know what good touch and bad touch is. even when I was told that doctors could touch me there it didn't make it easier for me that area was private to me and to any other child. even if we r told its ok, I still remember walking out of the room when it was over with my head down ashamed that someone in my mind had violated me and my parents allowed it to happen. no matter how much I cried and begged and told them no not to touch me there they still forced me to do it. <br />also keep in mind when this procedure is done here r a lot of people in the room I remember there being two people near my head and three at my bottom all of them staring at me like i was a zoo animal on display I remember the staff being nice but it didn't take away from what they were doing to me, not only was it embarrassing/violating it also was extremely painful when they put the tube in, it would ache and hurt all through the exam which lasts from 30-45 mins then it hurt afterwards. it would ache and burn like hell when u peed for the first couple times after the exam. <br />this procedure needs to change for the children undergoing it in the near future and also doctors need to review the lasting damage this has already had on adults that had this done as children so that maybe the medical staff can understand that this is not a small amount of individuals 1% as they like to say. they shouldn't make a person that has been emotionally scarred by this event feel that they are abnormal to feel this way. bc when doing my research on this subject I discovered that many adults have been affected by this if you are one of them dnt let them say that VCUGs couldn't effect you this way or that you r only one of a handful of individuals that were affected. it's not true there are many of us who feel the same. doctors don't like to be proven that they are wrong but they are boo hoo for them. <br />VCUG children PTSD depression medical procedures voiding csytourethrogram privacy Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-26425775660305233792012-10-30T15:41:42.270-04:002012-10-30T15:41:42.270-04:00yes we do need a support group. no one likes to be...yes we do need a support group. no one likes to believe that this kind of "small" test or procedure can cause emotional disorders. I have tried to get doctors or even my parents that put me through this testing to believe the kind of damage it does to a kid and tht it could be carried into adulthood. <br />when I was younger I had to get VCUGs routinely done to me. from when I was infant till I was 9 years old. I remember getting this procedure done very well I still start to panic before going to see the doctor, shake uncontrollably when putting on a hospital gown and even when smells, sounds, tone of voice, sights and words are said or mentioned that remind me of the VCUGs I once had to endure, I have to fight the urge to run. I have regular panic attacks I didn't even realize that I had been having them for years till I found out the symptoms of a panic attack. <br />the thing that pisses me off the most is that when I discovered that these tests scarred me mentally and emotionally as a child I told my parents and told doctors. you want to know what they told me "well those tests needed to be done so u just have to deal with it" or my favorite one is "your 1% of the children that was effected this way, this test is done to many many children a year and they aren't effected like you are." that is the comfort I get no one believes that this procedure affects children long term. the doctors don't want to believe that a test that is done by their profession causes damage. they believe that the good out weighs the bad. <br />yes this test does need to be done to see reflux and other abnormalities I know this but the technic in which it is done needs to be changed. but first the medical professions needs to understand that no the good of the test does not out weigh the test if it causes trauma, PTSD, depression and anxiety these are long lasting effects that get carried into adulthood. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-12363172838670200072012-08-22T14:12:03.192-04:002012-08-22T14:12:03.192-04:00'Knitted', I agree with you. Pedophilia w...'Knitted', I agree with you. Pedophilia was not much of a concern when I was a kid, but yes, it was definitely prevalent, likely more so than today. No one then would ever have thought that instructing children not to let anyone see their private parts was appropriate. An older cousin of mine recently confided that when she was a young teen a relative tried to molest her. When she told her mother, she was instructed to not talk about it. She never forgave her mother for that advice, but that would have been the most common response of that time. Times are most definitely different.<br /><br />Parents do have to be careful not to instill in their children a fear of all doctors though. That does not mean that kids should be left alone with doctors until they are old enough to fend for themselves. Assessing sexual development is certainly a recommended part of an adolescent pediatric exam so you shouldn't fault a pediatrician for doing it. I agree though that it is hardly crucial unless there's a problem. Same opinion I have for hernia exams in boys. You do indeed have to make your wishes known.Joel Sherman MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15302609163683972129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-52461561593315870162012-08-21T16:44:05.742-04:002012-08-21T16:44:05.742-04:00I think I'm going to have to print out Rosen-C...I think I'm going to have to print out Rosen-Carole's method for examining children and give it to my children's pediatrician! My older daughters have both been subjected to physicians who look into their panties without warning to check on development of pubic hair. Is this check REALLY necessary? Why can't the Dr just ASK? My daughters were both upset by this, particularly the younger one (who tends to be more of the "you aren't getting one over on me!" personality than her sister), so after the experience with her, I have made certain to inform the Dr's that they may not look into my children's underpants without explicit consent first.<br /><br />Dr. Sherman, your generation may have been less concerned with pedophilia, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't a problem! I know multiple women who are likely your age who were abused by fathers, brothers, uncles... My own grandmother, who would be 83 now if she were still alive, was gang raped by her uncle and some of his friends when she was 9 years old. I'm not sure why you make a comment about "making children petrified of physicians?" Where is the evidence that parents are doing this? Most parent I know teach their children that it is okay for Dr's to look at their genitals.Knitted_in_the_Wombhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10137588397993575530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-15121610801622708242012-01-28T17:20:54.561-05:002012-01-28T17:20:54.561-05:00Well, I'd have to give background on where I l...Well, I'd have to give background on where I live. We live in a very rural area in the deep south where women MDs or NPs were very rare.<br />When people ask, I tell them I live in the middle of a field. We can't even get cable here. Our choices have always been limited, but I know that there was a female doctor working there(the wife of the doctor who examined me, who, by the way, became a crackhead, literally later in his life. I think they divorced, but still work at the same clinic. As a small town this gossip gets to all of us). For some reason no one even mentioned to have a nurse do the procedure. It was for diagnostic purposes, so I suppose it had to be a doctor, but the touching he did was completely uncalled for since all he did was slide cream all over me which he later gave my mom the bottle. She<br />could have easily done it herself. Why he wanted to apply in the office and do it himself I have no idea, it was a prescription medication the we obtained the same day.. whichm of course only did more harm than good since I had IC, not an infection.<br /><br />It's about medical violations to all children. The lies, the unpreparedness, the lack of pain killers.. it's just that girls fall into this more than men due to our genitals being ticking time bombs or something, but I can dig up a story I read about one poor man who was forced to have a stiff cystoscopy forcefully placed into him at the age of 8. These days you must be under GA because of the pain it causes. It gave him PSTD. If you would like I can send that story over for Dr. Sherman to insert into the article.<br /><br />I am a complete equalist and am disgusted when anyone despite gender, especially children, have their wishes violated due to convenience. I just don't personally know any male who's felt violated, but I know they exist and their concerns are just as important as women. My boyfriend scoffs and says they need to man up and I quickly slash him down with verbal retorts for that attitude. <br /><br />If you know of any other stories please send them my way. All I've seen are from adults with no childhood perspectives from the other gender except for that one example above. Because of social stigma a lot of men are afraid to come out about these things.<br /><br />I do appreciate the commenter above stating that he too had the VCUG. If he cares to clarify more I'd be happy to add that, or the clarity can just remain in the comment section if he wishes.Nekurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13086210133384287472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-72309606808896881052012-01-27T21:45:19.260-05:002012-01-27T21:45:19.260-05:00Nekura:
This incident happened back in 1995, a...Nekura:<br /> This incident happened back in 1995, and you say back then female doctors were rare? Rare? I question that. Certainly female nurses weren't rare.<br /> Is this issue about a specific procedure that may be rare in men and boys, or is it about medical modesty violations for both genders? Let's focus on the issue.<br /> All I'm suggesting is that, if this article is still available online, that you add something to it -- maybe what you wrote above -- or something to acknowledge that the issue is one that affects both genders and the modesty of one gender is as valuable as the other.Doug Caprahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15722777627862939708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-13349918518188151952012-01-27T03:53:06.961-05:002012-01-27T03:53:06.961-05:00Hello, I am the writer of the article. I just want...Hello, I am the writer of the article. I just wanted to clarify that the only reason boys weren't mentioned was because it is very rare for a boy to need a VCUG done since its usually used on children who have UTIs before the age of five. Due to the length of the penis boys and men rarely get these infections. I in no way intended to leave boys out, but back when my experience happened female doctors were very rare and most doctors were male. Of course, most nurses are female so in a hospital setting I can understand the violation of modesty there for boys, and I completely agree. It doesn't matter what gender you are, your anxieties need to be taken seriously. I just lacked the male perspective to add.<br /><br />I would also like to note that I've confronted my mom since then and she said she had a fear of authoritative figures which is why she never questioned anything. It was something ingrained in people that "the doctor is always right" and the older generation seems to stick to that. She does regret what happened, but I don't blame her. This was back in '95.Nekurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13086210133384287472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-35245174089493224582012-01-25T15:19:53.988-05:002012-01-25T15:19:53.988-05:00Boys can easily be sexually abused by doctors as w...Boys can easily be sexually abused by doctors as well. The best advice we can give to parents is that at least one parent should always be present with their kids in the examining rooms with doctors. A pediatrician who helped kids with learning disabilities sexually abused some boys who were his patients. Check out the <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/l/melvin_d_levine/index.html" rel="nofollow">article about Dr. Levine</a>.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-13775396603183781312012-01-22T15:38:57.719-05:002012-01-22T15:38:57.719-05:00Doug,
I feel that male patient modesty is as impo...Doug,<br /><br />I feel that male patient modesty is as important as female patient modesty. I appreciate the article about sports physicals. I can understand why many boys especially teenage boys find them embarrassing. Some of them have been traumatized by the fact that female nurses or doctors saw them naked. I honestly feel that boys should be able to opt out of having hernia or genital exams as part of sports physicals. I think that sports physicals should primarily focus on heart & muscles. I think that boys especially teenage boys should be given some literature about how to examine themselves for hernias. If they find hernias, they can always go to a male doctor and request that no female nurses be present.<br /><br />I believe that parents should also listen to their sons about their wishes for modesty and same gender doctors. Teenage boys are especially sensitive. Have you done any research to find out what age boys usually become sensitive to modesty? I think girls are sensitive at earlier age. Many little boys are allowed to see their mothers naked while little girls never see their fathers naked. After a boy reaches a certain age, he is usually not allowed to see his mother naked anymore. <br /><br />I heard of an incident where a deaf man in his 30's had to go to the doctor for some male problems. His mother accommodated him to the doctor's office. Sadly, the male doctor insisted that his mom be there for the exam so she could interpret. He was very embarrassed. The doctor should have just communicated with him via writing or a male interpreter. <br /><br />As you probably know, Dr. Earl Bradley, a pediatrician abused over 100 children. It is my understanding that a majority of them were girls. Doctors can certainly sexually abuse boys as well. I think that all parents should always be present with doctor (either male or female) in the examining rooms with their kids of either gender. I believe that this would help to prevent sexual misconduct. Dr. Bradley convinced parents to leave their kids alone with him. That was a big mistake. Good pediatricians will allow at least parent to be present with them in the examining room the whole time. <br /><br />When I was a kid, one of my parents was always present in the room with the doctor and me. This helped to protect me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-29827554656402607702012-01-21T22:44:59.887-05:002012-01-21T22:44:59.887-05:00The article you reference...
(http://sexualmiscon...The article you reference...<br /><br />(http://sexualmisconductbydoctors.com/tipsforparents.aspx)...<br /><br />has many good points, but I must be honest and say that it also helps to reinforce the double standard regarding male vs. female modesty. Although the title of the article says it's about "children," the only children referenced and the only examples given are those of female children. What particularly bothers me is the statement that female children should only go to female doctors for genital issues. I don't agree to that as an absolute, but, be that is it may -- if you say that, why not say that all male children should go to male doctors for the same problems? No mention in the article about the humiliation and embarrassment that teenage boys may go through during sports exams for hernia and genital checks with female physicians and female nurses or assistants as chaperones. There are many aspects to vulnerability. Young male children can feel vulnerable, too, in different ways, with opposite gender intimate care.<br /> What I'm saying is this -- The article should clearly state, perhaps in the title, that it's about female children -- because that's the real focus. Or, if the article claims to be about all children, male and female, it should be inclusive. What it does, though unintentionally, is to reinforce that medical modesty in children is basically a female issue and doesn't really apply to boys.Doug Caprahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15722777627862939708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-16948180913280987632012-01-21T19:28:42.989-05:002012-01-21T19:28:42.989-05:00It was heartbreaking to read about Holly's sto...It was heartbreaking to read about Holly's story. It is sad about how Holly's wishes for a female doctor were not honored when she was a kid. This shows that more parents need to be educated about this serious issue. See an article about teenagers and modesty. This can also apply to kids of course. It is important for parents to work to accommodate their kids' wishes for modesty in medical settings. <br /><br />When I was a little girl, I was very puzzled about how I was taught that I should not let men and boys including my dad see certain parts of my body after a certain age, but that it was different for doctors. I thought it was very odd when one of my teachers in elementary school said that you should not let anyone except for your parents and your doctor to touch your private parts. I felt that my teacher was wrong about doctors. <br /><br />I was shocked to learn that my mom went to a male gynecologist when I was a kid. It just contradicted what I was taught about how you should never let any man except for your husband to see you naked after a certain age. I feel this is a cultural blind spot. We have been taught that we should trust everything the medical industry does without questioning. If we question anything, we are often intimidated by doctors or nurses. My mom no longer goes to a male gynecologist. She stopped going about 12 years ago. She has a different opinion now because of the things I brought to her attention. <br /><br />Doctors are humans. I feel that it makes no difference in how many patients they have seen naked. Patients' wishes should be number 1priority. <br /><br />Sadly, many children were sexually abused by a Delaware pediatrician. I personally don't think it was the parents' fault. We have been taught that we should trust and submit to medical professionals completely. <br /><br />Sexual Misconduct by doctors is often underreported because many patients feel that they would not be taken seriously because it's very hard to prosecute doctors. <br /><br />I have one friend who is still very traumatized by the time she was examined by a male gynecologist when she was about 14 years old. She is 40 today and is still haunted by that experience. <br /><br />Look at tips about how parents can prevent their children from being sexually abused at http://sexualmisconductbydoctors.com/tipsforparents.aspx. <br /><br />I agree with Doug that it is important for all patients to be informed exactly what all will happen during a certain procedure.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-22358224280214610232012-01-09T01:48:57.875-05:002012-01-09T01:48:57.875-05:00I am a male and recall as a child of 9 having to h...I am a male and recall as a child of 9 having to have the VCUG due to a problem urinating. I can attest to what Holly went through. A woman from x ray informed my step mother she would be completing the test and she and a woman nurse led me from the waiting room and once inside I was told to strip for the test and to put on a gown which I did as my step mother said it was "necessary". I then was told to lie on the table and the nurse wheeled in a cart and suddenly reached over and pulled up the gown. I immediately sat up and the nurse said something to my step mother who then said its ok please lie down. I remember sitting there with the gown pulled up which made me start crying. The x ray lady kept saying we dont have all day, and I was resistant so they asked my step mother to leave which made me feel ever worse. Then another nurse came in and said if you dont lie down we are going to have to hold you. The test was important or something she said. I remember crying and shaking my head no, and the next thing I knew one of the nurses grabbed my shoulders and the other grabbed my legs and I was then forced to be catheterized and then to pee all over myself although I tried to hold it in. To this day I am anxious in medical settings and have "lab coat" hypertension. I can only hope they now have better ways to handle this and that getting this out in the open will help others. I hope you all continue to post on your blog and allow the experiences of patients as it will help to educate those performig these tests.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com