# Would this bother you? (Medical letter) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 3, 2011, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-bother-you-medical-letter/573401 "2011-03-03T19:49:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@Angel\_of\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-bother-you-medical-letter/573401/21 "2011-03-04T01:25:48Z")
Yeah, I would get a little hocked off at the government taking it upon itself to do such a thing. Just once? I’d be mildly annoyed but I’d forget about it. However, if it became a nagging campaign, I’d be seriously hocked. I have issues with mammograms and refuse the damn things, and don’t care to be nagged to death about it, thankyouverymuch. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-bother-you-medical-letter/573401/22 "2011-03-04T01:36:29Z")
During the 1980’s Surgeon General C. Everett Koop mailed every household in America an AIDS information pamphlet. I don’t see how a mammogram reminder would be any different – it would also help to save lives. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-bother-you-medical-letter/573401/23 "2011-03-04T01:56:29Z")
Seriously, why on earth would you care? My vet sends me a postcard when Captain needs his rabies shot. ---
**Author:** ![BaconAndEggs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@BaconAndEggs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaconAndEggs)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-bother-you-medical-letter/573401/24 "2011-03-04T04:26:44Z")
I wouldn’t be bothered by it. I would like the reminder. I can’t believe 18 and over women get mammograms. In the USA, we get them over 50, and a colonoscopy. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-bother-you-medical-letter/573401/25 "2011-03-04T04:28:44Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Oh, I got my first one from them about four years ago. > I’m 36. > 😕 I got one _in high school_. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-bother-you-medical-letter/573401/26 "2011-03-04T05:09:07Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > No, what’s intrusive is when the AARP starts sending you solicitations. > [@WhyNot](#): > > Oh, I got my first one from them about four years ago. > I’m 36. > 😕 I know! I think they’re trying to groom us so that when the time comes, we won’t be offended by their mailings anymore! ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-bother-you-medical-letter/573401/27 "2011-03-04T06:43:44Z")
wouldn’t bother me in the least, although I don’t think my boobs will fit in the machine. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-bother-you-medical-letter/573401/28 "2011-03-04T07:38:57Z")
I don’t get a letter from Osasunbidea (the local government healthcare) reminding me to get my boobs squeezed: I get the letter telling me when and where to have them squeezed! My healthcare provider is the government, so being offended by them trying to take care of my health seems… counterproductive, counterintuitive and somewhat of an oxymoron. At the same time, if they were sending the reminder without the appointment I’d be wondering whose cousin owns the print shop which made the letters 😛 ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-bother-you-medical-letter/573401/29 "2011-03-04T07:40:03Z")
My line of thought is this: The Government in Canada is like an insurance provider. If my insurance provider sent out notices reminding me of health exams and stuff, I wouldn’t find it obtrusive. ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-bother-you-medical-letter/573401/30 "2011-03-04T07:42:39Z")
Darn it, **Nava**. I was going to make a joke about the last comment in your post. Then you went and changed it. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-bother-you-medical-letter/573401/31 "2011-03-04T07:46:17Z")
Sowwy… it was for clarification… want a low-energy bulb? (That deleted line mentioned the Spanish government’s campaign which gave away free-energy bulbs, but I imagine **Travis** wanted to riff off my calling myself a “low-energy kind’a gal” :p) ---
**Author:** ![yuhoo.smith2011](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/c68b51/32.png) [@yuhoo.smith2011](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yuhoo.smith2011)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-bother-you-medical-letter/573401/32 "2011-03-04T07:48:12Z")
They aren’t soliciting information. ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-bother-you-medical-letter/573401/33 "2011-03-04T07:50:30Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Sowwy… it was for clarification… want a low-energy bulb? > (That deleted line mentioned the Spanish government’s campaign which gave away free-energy bulbs, but I imagine **Travis** wanted to riff off my calling myself a “low-energy kind’a gal” :p) Actually, I was going to make a “those trees aren’t going to kill themselves” joke. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Meyer6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@Meyer6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meyer6)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-bother-you-medical-letter/573401/34 "2011-03-04T07:59:33Z")
> [@BaconAndEggs](#): > > I wouldn’t be bothered by it. I would like the reminder. I can’t believe 18 and over women get mammograms. In the USA, we get them over 50, and a colonoscopy. I’m not sure if it varies from province to province, but I’ve lived in 3 Canadian provinces and never gotten one of these letters, and I’m 32. I’m curious about what province \*\*kushiel \*\*lives in and whether they actually start mammograms at 18 (I wasn’t sure from her last post). If they do, I want to know why the Canadian government thinks her boobs are more important than mine! ETA: For the record, I wouldn’t find the letter at all annoying. My dentist and my optometrist send me reminder letters, so why not? It’s not like you actually have to go and do it if you don’t want to. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-bother-you-medical-letter/573401/35 "2011-03-04T08:08:51Z")
> [@Angel\_of\_Doubt](#): > > Yeah, I would get a little hocked off at the government taking it upon itself to do such a thing. Just once? I’d be mildly annoyed but I’d forget about it. However, if it became a nagging campaign, I’d be seriously hocked. I have issues with mammograms and refuse the damn things, and don’t care to be nagged to death about it, thankyouverymuch. So, what’s yer’ issues with mammograms then? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-bother-you-medical-letter/573401/36 "2011-03-04T08:58:20Z")
> [@TravisFromOR](#): > > Actually, I was going to make a “those trees aren’t going to kill themselves” joke. 😉 Pfaugh, give the Sahara a few years and they’ll be dead all right… ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-bother-you-medical-letter/573401/37 "2011-03-04T14:05:42Z")
Is that the only thing they send out reminders for? If so, why do they single out the boobs? If not, what other reminders do they send? ---
**Author:** ![Double\_Foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@Double\_Foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Foolscap)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-bother-you-medical-letter/573401/38 "2011-03-04T14:10:46Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Is that the only thing they send out reminders for? If so, why do they single out the boobs? I’m fairly sure they test both of them. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-bother-you-medical-letter/573401/39 "2011-03-04T14:14:52Z")
> [@Angel\_of\_Doubt](#): > > Yeah, I would get a little hocked off at the government taking it upon itself to do such a thing. Just once? I’d be mildly annoyed but I’d forget about it. However, if it became a nagging campaign, I’d be seriously hocked. I have issues with mammograms and refuse the damn things, and don’t care to be nagged to death about it, thankyouverymuch. Once a year I can accept a reminder, if they start a nagging campaign because I decided to skip a year (and I have) that would aggravate me. And what do they do if you opt out? Force you to submit to a medical test? ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-bother-you-medical-letter/573401/40 "2011-03-04T15:32:03Z")
> [@Meyer6](#): > > I’m not sure if it varies from province to province, but I’ve lived in 3 Canadian provinces and never gotten one of these letters, and I’m 32. I’m curious about what province \*\*kushiel \*\*lives in and whether they actually start mammograms at 18 (I wasn’t sure from her last post). If they do, I want to know why the Canadian government thinks her boobs are more important than mine! > ETA: For the record, I wouldn’t find the letter at all annoying. My dentist and my optometrist send me reminder letters, so why not? It’s not like you actually have to go and do it if you don’t want to. I’m a Saskie. We probably just overdo it here. 😃 I don’t recall the exact year, but I’m 24 and I’ve been getting them for years now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-bother-you-medical-letter/573401.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-this-bother-you-medical-letter/573401.md?page=3)