Males: Gowns and prostate exams - hand in hand?

I was not instructed to start wearing a gown until I started getting prostate exams in my early 30s. (History of prostate cancer here.) The doctor was very clear: I was to take off my underwear and wear the gown, and make sure the opening was in the back.

From your experience, is there a correlation between wearing gowns and receiving prostate exams? In other words, how many have you have had prostate exams while wearing your underwear?

And if you have, does the doctor ask you to push them down, or do so him/herself, and what position are you in?

Anyone asked to take off his underwear completely for a prostate exam?

I have only had two doctors that use the gown. Most of mind are underwear only, but i have found that when just in underwear if they are going to do a prostate exam, the undies come off.

Mine have always been just "lower your pants and underwear and (variations of) lean over the table. Oh yes, and "try to relax".

I've been told to lower my underwear for the genital/rectal exam and usually they end up falling all the way off anyways once they're down by my ankles. I've never had a doctor lower them for me, I've always done that myself.

I have not seen any correlation, having been told to STRIP, and been handed a gown while the nurse actually laid the lube and gloves out, to an older doctor who came in while i had just stripped shirt and undershirt off and i wound up bending over the end of the table,..

Never a gown for a prostate exam for me. It has always been done with me in my underwear for the preliminaries and then being told to drop my underwear to me knees when it was time for the actual exam. I was offered a sheet when my employer had a female doctor. When it was time for the prostate and hernia exam, the female doctor called the female nurse in to the exam room to act as a chaperone. The nurse took the paper sheet and held it up as a drape between her and me while the doctor palpated my groin, scrotum and penis and finally doing the actual rectal exam. Not sure what she was trying to accomplish, I am sure she was peeking the whole time.

I haven't noticed any correlation between being told to strip and wear a gown and just strip to my underwear. Have had prostate exams in both situations, although fewer exams in a gown total. I have never had an exam wearing a gown that didn't end with a rectal and that is not true of wearing only underwear but for many of the years where I was stripped to my shorts I was a kid or teen and wouldn't have gotten a rectal anyway.

As for getting a prostate exam while wearing only underwear, I don't remember a doctor ever pulling my shorts down. Instead, the doctor will tell me to "drop your shorts" or something like that and do a hernia check first and then have me turn around and bend over the exam table for the rectal. A couple of doctors have told me to just "take your shorts off" for the hernia and rectal exams.

Not sure why it has to be a gown. I'm usually in just briefs.

Dave, do the briefs come all the way off for the DRE? Or do they just come down?

In my case, my annual physicals are always given with me stripped down to my shorts. When she is ready to do my genital, rectal & prostate exams, my doctor asks me to take my shorts off so I am naked for about 3 minutes at the end. Usually afterwards I get dressed, but when I got my TDAP booster 2 years ago, she had me stay naked until the nurse had given me the shot in my left buttock.

I have only had male doctors so no experience with female doctors doing physical exams. I had always thought that a male patient was always going to end up in a gown for an exam by a female doctor but some of you suggest that your female doctors do physicals the same way that many male doctors do by having the male patient strip to his underpants only with no gown used. I am surprised by that as I just assumed that the gender difference would result in more modest treatment of a male patient. Are these female doctors younger or older? I could see maybe an older female doctor doing it the older male doctor way but have a hard time believing that a younger female doctor would do that.

Yesterday at my physical, I was handed a cloth gown and a paper sheet. I asked the nurse if I could just skip the gown and keep my underpants on until they need to come off and she laughed and said I could but I would be cold. She was right, so after a few minutes of just sitting in my underpants I finally took them off and put the gown on because it was warmer. My doctor is a female just a year younger than I am (5😎.

Have had a couple different experiences over the years. At an employment physical a number of years back, I was examined in my underwear. At the end the Dr. said, stand up, drop your shorts and take them completely off. He did a thorough penis, testicle and hernia exam and then had me lay on my side on the table for the rectal exam. Was completely naked for about 5 minutes a the end of the exam.

Another doc I had for a while would do the preliminary health question in his office and then we would go across the hall to the exam room and have me strip to my shorts. Would drop them for the genital exam and had the rectal bent over the exam table.

My current doc has me strip completely and don a gown, opening in the front. Gown is completely off for the genital exam. Has me turn araway from him and bend over. After he lubes the finger he has me put my hand on my butt cheeks and spread them as he slides in for the prostate exam

All of my physicals except two were performed with me stripped to my underwear (always white briefs). All the of these involved only slipping down the briefs when it was time for the genital,and, if it was included, rectal exam. I have always found it exciting to just have the underwear pulled down rather than off because it frames the area of interest, emphasizing that the genitals or the anus is the area being inspected. As for the two exams done clothed other than in only briefs,one was with me stripped to the waist. The doctor just had me lower my pants and briefs for the genital and hernia exams. This was good because it was very awkward having to unbuckle my belt, unbutton and unzip my pants and pull down my briefs with the doctor waing to get a look st my genitals. The other was with a gown over my briefs. The gown had a tie in the front, so when it was time for the genital and hernia exams, the doctor had m e stand, he untied and pushed open the front of the gown and told me to slip down my briefs. This was really awkward too. But I find awkwardness is great because it enhances the embarrassment.

I think the gown is the USA invention. I had a prostate exam recently so I was in my underware wearing T-shirt then my doctor instructed me to make my underware down till my feet and to kneel in front of him. Then he put his finger in gloves inside my ass in order to touch my prostate, then he make me ultrasound prostate exam through my ass. He told me that it is Ok and it was everything of my prostate exam.

I never used gown in my life and I don't realize why it is necessary to use it in front of the doctor.

I was wearing a gown with my briefs underneath Then I was told to drop the shorts then lean over the table, resting on my elbows.

No. Gowns are a function of the medical industry overly concerned about modesty. You're just lucky enough to match the time line.

For years, my prostate exam involved just dropping my shorts.

I remember my first time to wear an exam gown because I had always had exams in my underpants only before that. i was surprised to be told to undress completely, including underpants and socks, and put on the gown that was laying on the end of the exam table. Since I had never worn one before, I wasn't exactly sure what it was. It helped that the nurse told me to put it on with the back open and to try to tie the strings. Otherwise, I'm not sure that I wouldn't have tried to wear it backwards since that would have been my first thought. I was young enough that the nurse probably guessed that wearing a gown was a new experience. I felt weird sitting on the exam table wearing nothing but that gown and waiting for the doctor to come in.

I think the gown is the USA invention. I never used gown in my life and I don't realize why it is necessary to use it in front of the doctor.

I suppose that prudishness, which is part of the general cultural baggage in the US, might have a lot to do with the usage nowadays. I often get the impression that one has to justify not being prudish, rather than the other way around.

But there may also be another reason why gown usage is so prevalent - it´s simply another (unnecessary) medical accoutrement that can be cheaply manufactured and sold in enormous quantities, most likely for a good markup to boot.

So it´s very likely just another racket that manufacturers and the medical profession have hit upon - it panders to an innate prudery in much of the population and every little extra thing that you can charge to a patient is that much more money in the pocket, even if it´s just a small percentage of what a doctor charges for use of a gown. Cause you can be certain of this - the price of a gown will be included in what you end up paying for your consults. It may not be much, but every little bit helps ...

I've worn gowns without a prostate exam before, I find it to be quite exciting having to wait in only a gown.

All of my adult exams have been in a gown with no underwear, but my doc doesn't do prostate exams until around 40, so they aren't a regular procedure for me yet. The one time I had a DRE, the gown stayed on, but was brushed out of the way.

When I have my annual physical I am always offered a gown as an option. I decline. I am in my boxer briefs until it is time for the genital and prostate exam at which point my doctor has me remove my underwear,

My exams have been in a gown with underwear on. Never had a prostate exam. The last doc I had didnt even have me drop my underwear.

I've found it depends on the doctor. My primary care doctor always had me naked under a gown and she does a DRE as part of my annual checkup. My urologist just has me pull down my pants and briefs and bend over for a DRE.

Never had a gown for any type of doctor's office visit. For prostate checks, lower pants and underware and lean on the table.

Gowns only for more invasive procedures like colonoscopy and heart cath.

With my F. P. Doc and urologist, it's just drop your briefs down and get on with it.

From my experience, there is no correlation between wearing gowns and receiving prostate exams. If i had prostate exams with a gown on, it was a front open pulled up, and given a drape if in Sims position.

Yes, i've had prostate exams when wearing your underwear, asked to lower it. usually i just take it off.

And if you have, the doctor asks me to lower them. I've had prostate exams standing up, leaning over on end of excam table, & Sims position. never on my back, never on my elbows & knees.

Never asked to take off underwear completely for a prostate exam, but i usually do anyway. The irony is last time I was wearing a jockstrap, and it probably could've been done with the jockstrap left on.

Same as "10 hours ago" : no correlation between a prostate examination and the wearing of a gown

anyway in France, as a male patient, we are never given a gown in a doctor office, only in medical clinics

and normally we are on all fours, underwear pulled down or removed

No correlation in my experience. Never worn a gown during exam by internist or urologist.

Never worn a gown during a prostate examination. Here in the UK its just trousers and underpants pulled down enough to ensure exposure and then lay on exam bed on my side, in a Sims position, its over real quick.