Question:
I recently moved to a small town from the “city”, leaving behind my wonderful gay doctor. Needless to say my search for a local doctor with the same qualifications have not been successful. I did finally secure a highly-recommended doctor but one who is not totally gay-aware. To make sure that he is being thorough, what is a good list of items that any doctor should look for when treating any gay patient? Handing a doctor a list of items to be aware of may make things easier for many guys and their docs.
Answer:
I’ve
been thinking about your questions, but wondering to myself ‘why would
treating a gay patient be any different than any other?’
A good physical
exam is one that is pretty much standard no matter what race, heritage, preference
or ethnic background. What is different is the talking part of the exam where
I would ask about family history and risk factors (such as drugs, alcohol,
sexually transmitted diseases, high risk sex, dangerous occupations or recreations,
etc).
Small town doctors
may not be as aware of gay issues such as HIV, but I wouldn’t assume
that.
It would probably
be more helpful to generate a list of prior health problems and concerns rather
than to point the doctor to check XYZ.
Some standard
things should be asked. Some should be on the first visit. Just be sure that
if you want the doctor to be comprehensive (like doing a physical exam) that
you tell the scheduling desk that this is what you want done.
Giving a list
to the physician of the following things would be very helpful:
- allergies
- prior hospitalizations
or surgeries
- medications
that are currently being taken
- chronic illnesses
that are being treated
- illnesses
that run in the family
- prior sexually
transmitted diseases or exposures
- when your
last HIV test was done
- smoking,
drug and/or alcohol history
- occupation
and the job risks (if any)
- whether you
are in a monogamous relationship
- current health
concerns or observations
Once this information
is taken then the physical part of the exam is usually done to confirm impressions
or concerns by the physician.
Hope that you find this helpful and will find a physician that you are comfortable talking with. Being able to be open is one of the most important parts of a physician/patient relationship.
BearDoc
Related Topic: Finding a Good Doctor
WARNING: While BearDoc is a licensed physician, the answers and advice given here are strictly for the purposes of entertainment and generally informing the public. You should not rely on the information presented here for the purpose of diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. You should consult your own physician before following any advice or suggestion.