Correct answer: "Period of what?"

I think they want their previous employment.

"And before we begin, please step on the scale so we can give you diet advice you have definitely not heard a million times before."

I've really started fucking around with my answer too this.

It's been awhile.
Honestly can't remember.
Period? What's that?
Hmmm, maybe I'm pregnant?
Did you read my chart?
Yesterday.

All answers I've genuinely given at this point.

Menstrual period.

While there is definitely an issue of women receiving worse treatment, the providers have good reasons to ask; namely there are a lot of tests where they have to know if you could be pregnant before they can run them, even an X-ray. If you just tell them you're pregnant up front, then they can save you a blood draw for an HCG test. Otherwise, they probably will, to make sure.

Edit: This blew up, so I wanted to clarify something. This is clearly a very common and frustrating experience for many women who may feel bullied into giving up private information. I don't want anyone to think that they must answer all the doctor's questions. You have a right to refuse to answer questions and to refuse care. Read the rest of the thread and stay informed of your rights.

They have you do a pregnancy test in those cases regardless.

Take some paracetamol.

Yes, they can't take your word for it. I was just implying that if you already told them you are pregnant then they can save a step since the safe choice is to not do the test.

Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor

Right, but asking about a person's menstrual cycle is different than asking if they're pregnant. Just throwing that out there.

it's important to ensure they don't administer some medications to pregnant women.

however, the amount of times doctors have systematically dismissed their patients opinions when they have a vagina is outrageously high.

Oh yeah, and I definitively think the doctor in the comic is being rude and dismissive. I could see the question being used as a proxy for "are you possibly pregnant", though.

Also, almost all the intake questionnaires you get at the doctor's office are templates that they have to complete per policy. I just treat them like when they ask me if I have a loyalty card at the store.

it’s important to ensure they don’t administer some medications to pregnant women.

I'm being a bit of a broken record, but they administer pregnancy tests in those cases.

Weight, temperature, pulse, and blood pressure are baseline diagnostics that go on your chart every time you visit a doctor.

People fixate on weight, because they're sensitive to it. But if you kept showing up at the doctor with a 100⁰ fever and the doctor kept saying "We need to get that fever down. Liquids, Tylenol, and bed rest are what you need", what else do you want the doctor to tell you?

"Hey, there's a secret panacea that will fix all your problems, but we just won't give it to you, because it's too cool to prescribe"?

Like, for a gunshot wound, they're going to stabilize you as best they can and then it's going to be a bunch of bandages and bed rest. "Hey, have you lost a much of blood due to a recent period?" isn't even an unreasonable question to ask.

“Hey, have you lost a much of blood due to a recent period?” isn’t even an unreasonable question to ask.

People only lose about 2-3 tablespoons of blood during a period.

If it was just put in the chart, it's not a problem.

The biggest problem is when weight is considered as the first and only medical explanation for symptoms that would prompt further inquiry in a person who isn't overweight.

The second problem is people are tired of hearing advice about how to lose weight, like, wow, thanks, never heard that before.

The first problem contributes to poorer outcomes because diagnosis and treatment is delayed or missed. And they both contribute to overweight people being more reluctant to go to the doctor, which, again, contributes to poorer outcomes.

Yeah, you're less likely to get a false negative.

Then they should force men to take pregnancy tests as well. They can't just take your word for it that you're not a pregnant transgender man.

They also don't ask about your period for the first question when you come in with a gunshot wound.

If it's that important, they'll do a blood draw pregnancy test.

But if you kept showing up at the doctor with a 100⁰ fever

With a 100° fever, you're not going to the doctor, because you are just dead.

Edit: I'm assuming Celsius here as no specifier of given

100F I'm assuming

Fake, he didn't say it was psychosomatic and offer Zoloft

Sure, if you're a trans man, perhaps in the middle of your transitioning where maybe there is a chance you could still get pregnant. Not sure if that's possible. I'm a developer not a doctor. I don't see why that would be any different, though. I don't make the rules, either.

Funny you should mention it because I've said the same thing during the design of an app we were building where they needed exactly this information. Since they only had one field for "sex" and it was male/female only, I argued maybe they should leave the pregnancy question enabled if they picked male.

Would you rather be asked a slightly rude question by a doctor or have a blood draw?

I mean, they may do the blood draw anyway, but asking the question saves time and money up front.

I'm mostly here to combat the misinformation from people who have never been pregnant before spouting off "facts" like they're right.

i cannot relate because I am a male

Yup, the wounded person's life is more important than a potential clump of cells anyway.

“No, I am not menstruating.” “No, I have never been pregnant.” I tell them I’m a trans woman. “No, they did not implant a uterus in me.” “Yes, I’m sure. 😅”

I’ve also made a mental note to not pee before doctor’s visits, in case they want me to pee for them.

Going to the doctor hits different now.

I'm too young to be sick! Too healthy 'looking'! Like the fuck. You want me to put on some corpse makeup so you'll take me seriously? Mom's friend had breast cancer and they caught it late because she always dressed well, but I'm dressed like a slob and just told I'm lazy instead!!

Hrghghghghhgg

Every. Damn. Time. 😑

If that were the case, they would accept “my tubes are tied and I’ve additionally been on long term birth control since I was a teen and thus haven’t had periods or pregnancy risk in decades” or “I have not been sexually active in several years”

But they don’t, they say “just give us an estimate on when the last one was”

Trouble swallowing? Just take these pills every four hours for two weeks and you'll be cured!

I routinely decline urine and blood tests because I got my tubes tied in my 20s and have been on merana for years, both clearly documented in my files. My doctors still somehow magically find a way to treat me without it.

Just food for thought :) I’m sure not every doctor is willing to respect your privacy, but some are :)

That sounds exhausting. I'm sorry that you're met with so much ignorance and disrespect. I would probably complain to the patient ombudsman if this is a recurring issue.

I think there's been some spotlight on the sad state of women's healthcare in the news, but I've not seen much about trans care. I hope that improves, but I'm not optimistic under the current administration.

Wouldn't that make the docs question reasonable? Like aren't they just asking if you've had an abnormal period to cover all the bases? From my admittedly ignorant perspective, all women have periods, they happen every month, it's a major part of your lives and health, seems a normal thing for doctors to ask about, no?

Like if a random dude is asking you how much you bleed on your period that's fuckin creepy, but that seems like a basic health question for a doctor to ask to me.

It's not pertinent when treating a wound like in the comic.

A pregnancy isn't more important than saving the life of the person with the wound.

Doctors already know how much blood people (it's not just women that have periods by the way) tend to lose during menstrual cycles.

Tell them it was in march of 1623

Edit: not really, even justifiably annoying a person whose attention to your situation could save your life is a bad idea, but that’s what I always want to tell them

I kinda do that, if they really push against my “are you serious? Genuinely serious?” I give them a date when I was 16, which was like 25 years ago, because its the last time I can reliably say I had one that wasn’t just hormone withdrawal (which is the actual reason the pill gives “periods” in the week of placebo pills, it’s not a real period)

My docs and nurses would genuinely find that funny af tho (their patents are mostly old men, and they find my levity quite disarming and enjoyable because they see me frequently enough for my kind of humor to be a hit) so I am gunna do that the next time they insist.

Ya but that wasn't asked in the comic, it was asked in the comment I'm referring to. I'm aware it wouldn't be relevant to a wound, but during a normal physical it would seem a routine question.

When I went to ENT due to sudden tinnitus and loss of hearing higher frequencies in my left ear (which also felt a bit disorienting), they just tested my hearing with a machine that only went up to 6kHz, she said it was mostly fine, and that humans don't need to hear above 6kHz anyway.

So hey audiophiles, you've heard it, 12kHz sample-rate is HiFi.

I'm not optimistic under the current administration.

That is what I like to call "a gross understatement".

I used a tone generator to recreate my tinnitus, it's about a 13k tone. I didn't know they stop testing after 6k

Like, for a gunshot wound, they’re going to stabilize you as best they can and then it’s going to be a bunch of bandages and bed rest. “Hey, have you lost a much of blood due to a recent period?” isn’t even an unreasonable question to ask.

Did you not read the conversation that preceded your comment?

Maybe to you. But is not "my body my choice" all about letting the woman decide that?

I would sacrifise my life anytime if it would help my unborn kid survive.

It's fake because he didn't tell her to lose weight.

Tubal ligation and birth control, while wildly effective, aren't 100%. Plus, there are probably other reasons they want to know about menstruation other than pregnancy. They're just checking a box, let 'em get on with it.

My first gf would easily lose that much a day, every day for 5-6 days. Never knew a woman like that before or since, but outliers exist.