# Turn your head and cough, Why?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-your-head-and-cough-why/289597>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 11, 2005, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-your-head-and-cough-why/289597 "2005-02-11T16:06:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-your-head-and-cough-why/289597/1 "2005-02-11T16:06:23Z")

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What does this test tell the doctor?

I’m guessing the turn your head part is so that you don’t cough on the doctor’s head. But what does the rest of the test tell him?

For the ladies

This is a test that men go through for some strange reason. I had to do it before I was allowed to play football in the 7th grade. A doctor places two fingers under your testicles and then you are instructed to ‘turn your head and cough’. How this determined that I was fit to play football, I don’t know.

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**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-your-head-and-cough-why/289597/2 "2005-02-11T16:11:41Z")

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Doctor is checking for a hernia. More information here - [http://kidshealth.org/teen/sexual\_health/guys/hernias.html](http://kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_health/guys/hernias.html) .

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-your-head-and-cough-why/289597/3 "2005-02-11T16:12:58Z")

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It’s a hernia test. If you have a hernia there, coughing will push part of your intestine down into your scrotum, so he’s feeling for it.

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**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-your-head-and-cough-why/289597/4 "2005-02-11T16:41:37Z")

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Ok, so he would feel a downward pressure there if you had a hernia.  
Thanks

At the time it felt more like hazing.

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**Author:** ![lordofthewaters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@lordofthewaters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lordofthewaters)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-your-head-and-cough-why/289597/5 "2005-02-13T19:48:23Z")

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> [@Captain Amazing](#):
>
> It’s a hernia test. If you have a hernia there, coughing will push part of your intestine down into your scrotum, so he’s feeling for it.

And the turning of the head is due to the fact that no one wants to be coughed on, especially when it’d be right in his/her face. 🆒