What Secrets Do Women Keep From Their Doctors?
Words by Katherine C. Eustaquio
Published in Total Fitness Magazine December 2011 Issue
A nurse hands you a patient information sheet to fill out and you breeze through the essentials like a veteran. You tap your pen and list the illnesses that run on both sides of your family. You recall whatever allergies you came across. You answer truthfully whether you had alcohol in the past 24 hours, list down all the medications you’re taking, and dutifully recall the date of your last menstruation.
However, when you reach the part that delves into your sexual history, you squirm in your seat, check a few tick boxes and decide to leave the “TMI” stuff blank only to be asked by your doctor later in a point-blank manner. You heart pounds as you twist, bend, stretch, and color-me-pretty several parts of your sexual history.
According to a survey conducted by WebMD, a popular U.S. website that provides up-to-date healthcare information and support, almost 45% of its readers fail to tell their doctors the entire truth about their medical history.
"If people are honest about their conditions they may fear to risk the loss of job or insurance,” said Arthur Caplan, Ph.D., the director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. “They also may lie to ensure access to medical services. And they may lie so that they can get insurance reimbursement for a condition. They also lie out of humiliation or to protect a spouse.”
"A lot of people, if they are concerned or embarrassed about drinking or sexual activity, may not share this with anyone else: not their doctor; not their partner; not their parents; not their friends,” said David L. Roberts, MD, an associate professor of internal medicine at the Emory University in Atlanta. “These are secrets people like to keep.”
At some point in our lives, we’ve all hidden information we don’t want our doctors to know. May it is in the form of an unprescribed medication, a neglected follow-up treatment, an underlying condition or a one-time incident we think doesn’t hold much merit. Outright lies and withdrawn information can affect the quality of medical care you’re getting.
Here are the top secrets women keep from their doctors and reasons why they shouldn’t.
“I’m a virgin” or “Number of sexual partners? Uhh…”
If you’re seeing a gynecologist, a simple test can disprove the former. Most women couldn’t help but feel slightly offended when asked about the number of sexual partners they’ve had in the past years especially in a country with so many social hang-ups. The question is not meant to be an insult or an attack on your privacy considering the fact that sexual behavior is a taboo area for the majority. This particular question is asked to better assess a patient’s risk for STDs that could be prevented before it leads to bigger problems like infertility and cancer.
One Pill A Day...
Most women look for cheaper alternatives (and even home remedies) if the prescribed pills cost too much and never tell their doctors about it. Sometimes, they forget to take one or stop when they start to feel better. But when your doctor asks about the pills during your next visit, you assure him that you followed his prescription. If the symptoms persist, he will prescribe another brand. As long as your doctor knows about it, there’s really no harm in getting a less expensive brand.
Trying Out Wacky Diets
Your obsession with weight loss had you jumping from one diet regimen to the next—from the simple to the extreme—and you know that your doctor would talk you out of it the moment he finds out. According to Pamela F. Gallin, MD, the author of How to Survive Your Doctor’s Care, some extreme diets like the “cleanse” regimen can rid the body of its needed vitamins and minerals that could affect the vital organs.
Skipping Illnesses in your Family History
Most patients keep mum about the fatal diseases in their family history during routine checkup unless asked. However, even when the question pops up, they often withdraw information that caused them grief or simply because they think it’s irrelevant to the discussion. Your doctor delves into your family history for the same reason you got a routine checkup in the first place: to prevent whatever hereditary disease you might acquire down the road.
Withholding Irrelevant Information
Most people attribute subtle and recurring pain to stress and when you’re up for routine checkup with your EENT, you don’t see the point in telling your doctor about the recurring pain in your back. When you’re talking to a gynecologist, you’re often surprised why in the world she’s asking if you’ve been depressed. The human body is one supreme machine where every part is connected perfectly to another. Tell your doctor every symptom you’re feeling so he can better plan your treatment.
Most women lie to their doctors, particularly in the taboo areas, because they don’t want to be judged by a stranger. Clearly, they want to create a pleasant relationship. The majority of the patients have this notion that if your doctor likes you, the better medical care you’ll get. This is not the case. “Are there good reasons to lie to the doctor?” asked Roberts. “No. Reasonable reasons? Not really. It is silly to pay a doctor for an opinion and have him a base that opinion on less than 100% of the truth.”
Published in Total Fitness Magazine December 2011 Issue
However, when you reach the part that delves into your sexual history, you squirm in your seat, check a few tick boxes and decide to leave the “TMI” stuff blank only to be asked by your doctor later in a point-blank manner. You heart pounds as you twist, bend, stretch, and color-me-pretty several parts of your sexual history.
According to a survey conducted by WebMD, a popular U.S. website that provides up-to-date healthcare information and support, almost 45% of its readers fail to tell their doctors the entire truth about their medical history.
"If people are honest about their conditions they may fear to risk the loss of job or insurance,” said Arthur Caplan, Ph.D., the director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. “They also may lie to ensure access to medical services. And they may lie so that they can get insurance reimbursement for a condition. They also lie out of humiliation or to protect a spouse.”
"A lot of people, if they are concerned or embarrassed about drinking or sexual activity, may not share this with anyone else: not their doctor; not their partner; not their parents; not their friends,” said David L. Roberts, MD, an associate professor of internal medicine at the Emory University in Atlanta. “These are secrets people like to keep.”
At some point in our lives, we’ve all hidden information we don’t want our doctors to know. May it is in the form of an unprescribed medication, a neglected follow-up treatment, an underlying condition or a one-time incident we think doesn’t hold much merit. Outright lies and withdrawn information can affect the quality of medical care you’re getting.
Here are the top secrets women keep from their doctors and reasons why they shouldn’t.
“I’m a virgin” or “Number of sexual partners? Uhh…”
If you’re seeing a gynecologist, a simple test can disprove the former. Most women couldn’t help but feel slightly offended when asked about the number of sexual partners they’ve had in the past years especially in a country with so many social hang-ups. The question is not meant to be an insult or an attack on your privacy considering the fact that sexual behavior is a taboo area for the majority. This particular question is asked to better assess a patient’s risk for STDs that could be prevented before it leads to bigger problems like infertility and cancer.
One Pill A Day...
Most women look for cheaper alternatives (and even home remedies) if the prescribed pills cost too much and never tell their doctors about it. Sometimes, they forget to take one or stop when they start to feel better. But when your doctor asks about the pills during your next visit, you assure him that you followed his prescription. If the symptoms persist, he will prescribe another brand. As long as your doctor knows about it, there’s really no harm in getting a less expensive brand.
Trying Out Wacky Diets
Your obsession with weight loss had you jumping from one diet regimen to the next—from the simple to the extreme—and you know that your doctor would talk you out of it the moment he finds out. According to Pamela F. Gallin, MD, the author of How to Survive Your Doctor’s Care, some extreme diets like the “cleanse” regimen can rid the body of its needed vitamins and minerals that could affect the vital organs.
Skipping Illnesses in your Family History
Most patients keep mum about the fatal diseases in their family history during routine checkup unless asked. However, even when the question pops up, they often withdraw information that caused them grief or simply because they think it’s irrelevant to the discussion. Your doctor delves into your family history for the same reason you got a routine checkup in the first place: to prevent whatever hereditary disease you might acquire down the road.
Withholding Irrelevant Information
Most people attribute subtle and recurring pain to stress and when you’re up for routine checkup with your EENT, you don’t see the point in telling your doctor about the recurring pain in your back. When you’re talking to a gynecologist, you’re often surprised why in the world she’s asking if you’ve been depressed. The human body is one supreme machine where every part is connected perfectly to another. Tell your doctor every symptom you’re feeling so he can better plan your treatment.
Most women lie to their doctors, particularly in the taboo areas, because they don’t want to be judged by a stranger. Clearly, they want to create a pleasant relationship. The majority of the patients have this notion that if your doctor likes you, the better medical care you’ll get. This is not the case. “Are there good reasons to lie to the doctor?” asked Roberts. “No. Reasonable reasons? Not really. It is silly to pay a doctor for an opinion and have him a base that opinion on less than 100% of the truth.”
