Physicians Asking About Sexual Orientation

My girlfriend told me that when she entered puberty, her family doctor would ask her her sexual orientation every time she went in for her annual. Has this happened to anyone else?

This also might have been as a protection sort of measure. It's really important to take into account the area, time period, and family dynamic surrounding the situation. I know that a friend of mine came out to her doctor but not her parents because it was a religious family dynamic. The doctor was then able to advice my friend about different types of counseling (she was depressed at the time) and different ways about telling her family eventually. Also, I think that if the doctor hadn't have asked (note, it wasn't an outright question, it was more a general thing about if she'd been dating/ having sex that kinda led into things) my friend probably wouldn't have told the doctor, so what this long ramble was meant to accomplish was to state that sometimes it might be the doctor's gut feeling just to check up and make sure that everything is covered.

I've never officially been asked what my sexual orientation is, however I have mentioned it before to doctors if I've been having particular problems or whatever. I also mention it when I'm going for an STI checkup - they seem more willing to give you an HIV test if you tell them you're a gay man. Which is odd as it's not just a gay disease any more but they don't seem to be as willing to offer straight men the tests!

In my recent check-up, I was asked "are you sexually active? with men, women or both?". I thought this is a standard question?

Never been asked. As a pure hetero I would have been for sure understood the question am I sexually active with women.

Just as to if I was sexually active

Never been asked my sexual orientation... but I HAVE been asked how sexually active I am... one partner or more then one he asked. Probably the most politically correct. Orientation has nothing to do with sexual health. I don't' believe should be asked.

When I started having gynecological exams, I was asked all sorts of sexually oriented questions. Was I having sex, was I using protection, what form(s) of birth control did I use, did I have multiple partners, did I have anal or oral sex, did I use IV drugs, and several times was asked if I had had a same sex partner. I think all the questions were used as a base of risk assessment. Doctors also act as counselors, and give you advise about risky behavior.

Have been asked If I was sexually active. Never orientation

I can't see the relevance of sexual orientation as such, but a doctor might well need to ask about patterns of sexual behaviour that arise from a patient's orientation.

The sexually active question ia a very standard question

Also have been asked whether I have one partner or more than one. That I think is a less common one but I think happens a lot too.

I believe it is important for the Doctor to know this info, inorder to treat the young girl appropiately during her puberty years & beyond

When I went to my pediatrician, there was a form every year that I had to fill out that had homosexuality on it, so I marked that I was gay on it. Now with every exam I've had, I've been asked my orientation. I went to the clinic on Monday to get antibiotics for bronchitis and the doc asked me out of nowhere even though she didn't ask me any questions about my sex life, or sexual history. It was strange

I don't think physicians have any business asking or knowing anybody's sexual orientation.

Aside from it not being their business, once you give a particular answer, it follows you FOREVER because your responses become part of your insurance company's info on you.

I wouldn't give any more information than they need to diagnose a particular problem.

Their history form or interview should NOT be a PHISHING trip for them.

The question is iimportant, as someone who has applied for several jobs as a men's health coordinator a/k/a hiv tester/outreach person. Sexuality is fluid. A guy or a woman (I have worked at a homeless shelter and have witnessed this) may start out straight and married and then switch to gay/lesbian. With hiv infection rates so high among msm populations, it's important to find out if the patient might be having sex and, if so, how he identifies himself. Someone who states that he is bisexual may, upon further enquiry, be having sex with both men and women, may or may not be making certain assumptions about what is safe or not, i.e. is it sufficient to simply ask a stranger, 'are you "clean?"' Further enquiry could pull out multiple partners, one time instances with men they didn't otherwise know anything about. If so, then questions about what he believes safe sex to be and how it is negotiated. Or the patient may identify as gay and show signs of low self-esteem, another trigger for hiv infection via an unwillingness or inability to negotiate safe sex. A question about what type of sex the patient is having, anal, oral, receptive and so on. All asked to figure out if the patient is someone who might have been exposed to hiv and so should be tested. If nothing else, by asking about orientation, a physician could offer referrals.

^^^^ I'd still keep my (mouth) lips sealed. 😁

My problem is somewhat less with the physician than with the insurance company's profiles they keep on everybody. Just for the record, NOTHING you say to the doctor is "OFF the record."

If they ask specific questions, LIE AND BE HETERO.

Whatever you say will follow you forever on your medical record--and your insurance companies will have that information.

I won't tell anybody ANYTHING I don't think they need to know.

My doctor always asks me....even if I've seen them before...

"Men, women or both..."

When I was at my doctor for a new patient exam in February, he asked about my marital status. I said divorced, and then I said I was in a relationship. No further questions asked, no other information given.

My previous doctor before that (a very much older doctor, in his 70's) insisted on giving me the entire lecture about safe sex, condoms, etc. I guess it never hurts to hear it again, and I appreciate that he was concerned. In a way, it was almost as gratifying as being carded at the grocery store when I buy a bottle of wine. By the way, I'm over 50, and although I look ten years younger, there is really no reason to card me! It does bring back memories though!

LadyDoc

My doctor has never asked me.

I have been asked only twice. Both were new to me. On the latter case, there was a possibility I had Hepatitis C(thankfully, I did not)and homosexual activity is a means of infection.

Have never been asked and it's none of their business

I have been asked a couple of times. First time was when I went for an sti check-up, where the form contained a question on orientation and who you have sex with. I asked why they needed to know and was told it could influence tests done.

Other time i was asked was on a new patient registration form, when I changed GP. Again I asked why they wanted to know & was told it was part of monitoring stats they have to record. As it was also on a section covering ethnic origin, I was able to separate it from the rest of the form (making it anonymous) and return it to the stats monitoring section separately.

Never been asked about orientation, but I have been asked many times if I'm sexually active (and in one or two cases,

they asked if with multiple partners).

Mostly they wanted to know if I wanted an HIV blood test.

I had a doctor as a kid who had me fill out a LONG questionair as that asked...my current doctor I have when I switched to him I just told him I am gay. Kinda obvious though considering we know so many of the same people.

I have never been asked anything of a sexual nature, not my orientation nor if I am active or not. I have no idea what my doctors surmise, if anything.

A few times I tried hinting at the subject, hoping they might ask a few questions, but no dice. They just don't seem interested.

I know many people feel offended if doctors ask such questions, but sometimes you can also feel left out when they show no interest in this aspect of your make-up.

I actually need to ask this question more comfortably for my job. But, you can often tell when people describe their living situations. Them: "I live with a friend." Me: "friend with a capital 'F' or lowercase 'f'?"

I have never been asked at any of my exams.

I ask it in my exams. I've also seen it on some old planned parenthood exam forms about 6 or 7 years ago.

It's a standard question that they ask so they have a more informed history on you. I'm sure drs. ask just for kicks, but i'd say the majority are sincere