After reading a blog on patient privacy something struck me as odd. I’m 21 years old and have had only one physical that included a hernia check. That was when I was 12 for a school physical and that was only because the school form required it (and a Tanner stage). But when I had my last school physical at 16 the PA (a woman) just checked off everything was normal (without asking if anyting was wrong). What does a physical exam include? What are some variations by age (I know my father get’s his prostate check)? Would females also recieve a pelvic as part of a physical?
There are physicals and there are physicals.
I think the standard eyes, ears, nose throat, abdomen, reflexes, BP is the basics.
A complete physical for a woman includes a pap smear, a pelivc exam, a breast exam and possibly having a finger up yer butt (apparently - my Dr. has never deemed that last one necessary, thank god).
A man will have to answer for the specific man tests.
Appropriate components of a physical examination of a well person depend not only on age and sex but also on the purpose of the exam so a comprehensive answer to your questions would take several pages. However, the table on the following web page shows what preventive services are recommended by the USPSTF for adult men and women, pregnant women, and children.Clinical Guidelines and Recommendations | Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
With the exception of that one school physical that’s all mine have ever consisted of.
I hope someone is listening to your heart and lungs too.
The whole potential finger-up-the-butt thing is what specifically keeps me from getting any sort of non-required medical attention… Had a terrible experience with that as a doctor when I was a constipated kid once…
You can always refuse the rectal exam, it’s not the army.
I thought rectal exams were only given to men over 40 to check their prostate. Why would a younger man (or boy) get one if he wasn’t complaining of pain?
First, the consequences of missing something wrong are far worse than 10 seconds of digital-rectal exam. Second, I had the first one in my mid-30’s so it’s not just for guys over 40. And it’s a cakewalk. Just wait until you’re 50 and need a colonoscopy.
An observation:
In my 30something years, I’ve never had a physician check me once for testicular abnormalities, nor ask if I check myself. Testicular cancer is a big killer.
On the other hand, much is made of mammography and manual breast exams for women. Breast cancer is a major, major killer.
I’m not interested in a numbers debate, just wondering why there’s so little attention/interest on this aspect of men’s health, during physicals.
I get a complete physical every five years, usually courtesy of the Navy. IIRC, here’s what they check:
Audiogram, with a check against the baseline;
Standard vision check;
Urine check. Checking for what? I don’t know. (not a drug screen - those are separate);
Blood work. They run a bunch of tests on blood. Among other things, they do a complete cholesterol check;
A very brief dental check;
Temp and blood pressure.
Afterwards, a visit with the doctor. S/He will do the listening to heart and lungs thing, reflex test, brief testing of joints and flexibility, a peek in the ears and throat, the ol’ turn and cough, and a brief once over of the entire body for anything unusual - marks, moles, etc. Then, a brief discussion of any recent or current issues, whether or not I check for testicular cancer, any injuries, concerns, etc. As I’m in my 30s, the prostate check is optional. Once I’m in my 40s, I think it becomes mandatory.
The whole thing takes about 4 hours.
For my last physical I was asked to do an “at-home stool sample” and they gave me a little kit that was basically a scoop and three small plastic containers (so you can do it 3x).
I politefully took it home and then never touched it. The doctor said it was ok, that it was only necessary for certain people (I didn’t ask).
Simple - you’re female. That’s why they never discuss testicular cancer with you and why they discuss mammography 
But more seriously - strange. Especially given you’re fairly young - and IIRC the incidence of testicular cancer is higher among the young.
Back to the OP: It’s been years since I’ve scheduled “a physical” - I have a number of health conditions that require somewhat routine monitoring so I see the doc 2-4 times a year for those, and a lot of the miscellany gets sorted out then. A blood test here, a blood test there, lungs and BP at every visit… had a chest x-ray just a few months ago when I had a flareup of asthma/bronchitis (you know you’re worse than usual when the doc listens for half a second, jumps back and says WHOA!! :)). But IIRC - EKG, chest x-ray, blood work including cholesterol and glucose and assorted other fun stuff… fecal occult stool testing (and isn’t that a hoot and a half). The well-woman stuff is usually done by a gyn rather than my internist, and that’s the standard stuff. The gyn doesn’t typically address the “standard physical” sort of things described above since I have a primary care doc for that.
I’m 21 (15-40 yr olds are the highest risks), yet I didn’t learn how do a self-exam until I was 19 and that was out of a magazine. As far as I can remember (since about the age of 5) I’ve only had a doctor exam my genitals once, for a hernia, at 12. No doctor or PA has ever even discussed TC with me. However all the girls in my school were shown videos on breast exams in 7th and 11th grade health classes. They also had to watch videos of a pelvic exam and childbirth. The most the guys got was a 30 minute STD slideshow of diseased penises and anuses. The girls had to watch the same slideshow in addition to one with diseased females. Double standard :dubious: ?