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Sexual Health – Guy Style
Preparing Your Son for His First Exam
By Tamekia Reece
Often times, getting your son to schedule an appointment or allow you to do so is the easy part. It's the time between the call and the actual appointment that allows him to become a nervous wreck. Not knowing what to expect can cause a guy to have second thoughts and skip out on his appointment. You can prevent this by talking to him about what will happen. Here's a rundown on what he can expect:
One of the most important parts of a good sexual health exam is "the talk," a pre-exam interview where the doctor, urologist or nurse practitioner will ask your son about his lifestyle. Some of the questions that may be asked may make him a little apprehensive, but Dr. Charles Wibbelsman, chief of Kaiser Permanente's teen clinic in San Francisco, warns that the doctor isn't just being nosy. "The only reason the doctor is asking these questions is because he wants to help the young man," he says. "It's a very normal part of the interview of an adolescent and something that all physicians should be doing to really identify those adolescents who are at risk." The answers to the questions help him decide what areas are of concern, what kind of tests the patient may need and more, so it's very important that your son answer them truthfully.
According to Dr. Joan Adler, an adolescent doctor at Temple University Children's Medical Center in Philadelphia, some of the questions your teen may be asked are:
- Do you smoke or drink?
- Do you use drugs?
- Have you ever had sex?
- How many sexual partners have you had?
- Were they male, female or both?
- Do you have oral and/or anal sex?
- Do you use condoms?