# Underwear anxiety in the doctor's office **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 10, 2003, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underwear-anxiety-in-the-doctors-office/167890 "2003-04-10T21:26:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Enki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5ac83/32.png) [@Enki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enki)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underwear-anxiety-in-the-doctors-office/167890/21 "2003-04-11T06:50:52Z")
Simple solution. Don’t wear underwear to the doctor’s office. How hard was that? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BadBaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71c47a/32.png) [@BadBaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BadBaby)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underwear-anxiety-in-the-doctors-office/167890/22 "2003-04-11T07:01:49Z")
I fold my undies and somehow that makes them okay to leave on top of the pile of clothes. How odd is _that_? ---
**Author:** ![Audrey\_Levins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Audrey\_Levins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Audrey_Levins)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underwear-anxiety-in-the-doctors-office/167890/23 "2003-04-11T08:07:36Z")
Ladies, I am going to say this with the unabashed hope that I am not alone here. I hide my underwear from everyone–even Mr. Levins–because I’m always afraid it’s going to be The Pair That Was Leaked Upon. You know that commercial about Tampax? The one that says something like Tampax Means Protection? Whatever. Any tampon I’ve ever tried has occasionally given way under pressure. And while this leads to an unnattractive stain, even after it’s washed, there’s nothing _wrong_ with that pair so I can’t ever justify throwing it away. But I’d die if anyone saw it. (I’m sure Mr. Levins, in the midst of his laundry turn, has caught sight of this pair, but as long as I don’t know for sure, I can carry on as if my secret is safe.) And this is why no one ever sees my underwear. I’m paranoid. It’s nuts. I should pitch the pair–because I always have at least one–and spend the $7.99 on a brand new set of Hanes Her Way. Eight bucks for peace of mind isn’t much to pay. And yet I don’t. And I keep the pair until it falls apart. Am I mad? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![guava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/71e660/32.png) [@guava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guava)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underwear-anxiety-in-the-doctors-office/167890/24 "2003-04-11T10:57:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jinwicked \* > \*\*The first time I was at my current GP for this, he sat down on his wheely-stool to begin the exam, and paused for a second, and said, “So, you said you’re an artist…” > > Just thought I would share. I will not tell you why he said that. 🙂 \*\* OMG **jinwicked** I’m dying laughing! I’ve gotten over the fear of exposing my privates to doctors, but I’m always conscious of what they are thinking about my shaving habits. The last two gynaecologists I visited (in the same clinic) did NOT leave the room when they asked me to get undressed (one was a man, the other a woman). I was VERY uncomfortable. No gown, but a paper sheet to lay over top of me. I won’t say which non-English speaking country I’m in, but that’s the way it’s done here. Can’t wait to get back to Canada. ---
**Author:** ![chattywine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@chattywine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chattywine)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underwear-anxiety-in-the-doctors-office/167890/25 "2003-04-11T11:16:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Audrey Levins \* > \*\* And while this leads to an unnattractive stain, even after it’s washed, there’s nothing _wrong_ with that pair so I can’t ever justify throwing it away. \*\* hehe ME TOO! call those my ‘clunkers’ at the gyn. hide em hide em hide always in the jeans pocket, if no pocket then in purse. don’t leave them folded under clothes on the chair, what if _gasps_ the clothes somehow get knocked off and they’re just lying there for the whole world to see… now the undies that are ‘meant’ to be seen are another story 😉 and of course i don’t wear those ones to the gyn… ---
**Author:** ![CherryBomb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@CherryBomb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CherryBomb)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underwear-anxiety-in-the-doctors-office/167890/26 "2003-04-11T12:15:08Z")
I must be a freak. I leave my clothes in the chair in the order that I remove them, making for a quicker re-clothing once the yearly probing is over. They’re always clean, never wear the “clunkers” on that day, and I take great pride in wearing the quite beautiful underwear that my hubby picks out for me. I’m also quite proud of my “artistry.” 😛 I mean, really, they’re looking at the most intimate part of my body. What kind of candle does seeing my underwear hold to that??? ---
**Author:** ![guava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/71e660/32.png) [@guava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guava)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underwear-anxiety-in-the-doctors-office/167890/27 "2003-04-11T12:20:35Z")
When I’m reincarnated, I wanna come back as Cherrybomb Wish I could have your confidence. ---
**Author:** ![welby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@welby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/welby)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underwear-anxiety-in-the-doctors-office/167890/28 "2003-04-11T13:06:24Z")
I usally wear my underwear on my head and run around naked, my danglies flapping in the breeze for everyone to see. It’s the greatest to see them all shy away from the skid marks. Did I say that out loud? ---
**Author:** ![Gundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Gundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gundy)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underwear-anxiety-in-the-doctors-office/167890/29 "2003-04-11T13:57:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Audrey Levins \* > **And while this leads to an unnattractive stain, even after it’s washed, there’s nothing _wrong_ with that pair so I can’t ever justify throwing it away.** I have a set of five “period undies” that are SHAMEFUL. I keep them to use during my period so I don’t ruin any good ones. My SO’s seen them while he helps me fold laundry, and that’s bad enough…were anyone else to see them I’d collapse in a quivering puddle of embarrassment. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underwear-anxiety-in-the-doctors-office/167890/30 "2003-04-11T14:07:38Z")
I can’t be the only one who has a few pairs of undies I only use during my period, can I? I HATE the idea of getting nice new ones stained, so out come the old already stained ones. I hide my underwear at the doctor but never even THOUGHT about it. This thread has been fascinating. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underwear-anxiety-in-the-doctors-office/167890/31 "2003-04-11T14:20:45Z")
Pshaw. The number of disgusting “period” undies I have is greater than one. I am pretty sure it is greater than five. I also sometimes hide my underwear from Mr. Cranky. I mean, he sees my naked ass all the time, but I worry that if he sees the actual yardage required to make a pair of undies that fit me, he’ll be repulsed. I can just hear him now: “I knew her ass was BIG, but I had no idea it was THAT big!” (commences packing to leave me) ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underwear-anxiety-in-the-doctors-office/167890/32 "2003-04-11T14:25:26Z")
The world is evidently weirder than even prior experience has taught me. ---
**Author:** ![BitterBetty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@BitterBetty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BitterBetty)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underwear-anxiety-in-the-doctors-office/167890/33 "2003-04-11T14:28:01Z")
I work in a gyn office. We have hangers for our pts to hang their clothes on. Women’s underwear has never been a topic of conversation in the office, unless of course they forget to put them back on and leave them here. Some conversations have centered around piercings and the newest trends in shaving. ---
**Author:** ![Mooney252](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7c8e57/32.png) [@Mooney252](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooney252)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underwear-anxiety-in-the-doctors-office/167890/34 "2003-04-11T14:39:30Z")
This is just one quote among many: > [@](#): > > But I’d die if anyone saw it. (I’m sure Mr. Levins, in the midst of his laundry turn, has caught sight of this pair, but as long as I don’t know for sure, I can carry on as if my secret is safe.) I’m a guy and the person who most-often does the laundry in my house. _Now I learn that I’m traumatizing wife and teenage daughter._ **Men arise to freedom: we are being provided the REASON for never doing laundry again!!** ---
**Author:** ![Sassafras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@Sassafras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sassafras)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underwear-anxiety-in-the-doctors-office/167890/35 "2003-04-11T14:47:25Z")
BitterBetty is being kind. We work in the same office and ALOT of conversations revolve around people leaving underwear behind, shaving, piercings, and let’s not forget the occasional "foreign objects " that the doctors find while doing exams :eek: . With all the weird stuff that happens here, regular old underwear isn’t even a blip on the radar. ---
**Author:** ![Atrael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Atrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atrael)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underwear-anxiety-in-the-doctors-office/167890/36 "2003-04-11T14:59:21Z")
Ok, exactlly what are some of you ladies doing to your hair? I mean, how many variations can you get? **jinwicked** is driving me nuts trying to figure out what could make a doctor comment. ---
**Author:** ![Gundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Gundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gundy)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underwear-anxiety-in-the-doctors-office/167890/37 "2003-04-11T15:01:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kristi \* > \*\*BitterBetty is being kind. We work in the same office and ALOT of conversations revolve around people leaving underwear behind, shaving, piercings, and let’s not forget the occasional "foreign objects " that the doctors find while doing exams :eek: \*\* You MUST do an “ask the…” thread. ---
**Author:** ![katie1341](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/91b2a8/32.png) [@katie1341](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/katie1341)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underwear-anxiety-in-the-doctors-office/167890/38 "2003-04-11T15:03:58Z")
**Krtisi,** I’m still going to hide my undies, though. And, at the risk of hijacking my own thread, I’m dying to know what kind of foreign objects you find! ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underwear-anxiety-in-the-doctors-office/167890/39 "2003-04-11T15:10:31Z")
I hide my underwear too. But my bigger fear is that the Dr. will come back in before I am ready, so I do the fastest undressing and hopping on the table ever. I don’t know what the big difference is between him seeing me half-undressed and getting an exam (which doesn’t really bother me), but there you go. Same when I get dressed again. He steps out for a minute so I can get dressed, then comes back in to answer any questions I might have, and that time isn’t very long. Must get dressed quickly! ---
**Author:** ![BitterBetty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@BitterBetty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BitterBetty)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underwear-anxiety-in-the-doctors-office/167890/40 "2003-04-11T15:12:08Z")
Kristi and I have heard stories of condoms, french ticklers, and forgotten tampons. The best though was when one of our physicians blatantly asked a pt in the middle of the exam “Maam, what’s in here” to which she responded “I don’t know, what is in there” It was some sort of bottle cap that the patient wouldn’t fess up to and the doctor didn’t question any further. Some people are amazing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underwear-anxiety-in-the-doctors-office/167890.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underwear-anxiety-in-the-doctors-office/167890.md?page=3)