Medical professionals the world over are facing a similar problem, and they’re not quite sure how to handle it.
More and more young patients are texting photos of their genitals to their doctors for diagnoses rather than coming in for good, old-fashioned check-ups. Now, hospitals are struggling with how to rein in what many in the industry are calling a “weird” and “inappropriate” new trend.
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According to one sexual and reproductive health professional from New York, patients in the United States are the worst when it comes to texting pictures of their junk to doctors.
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“It was a shock and a weird way for a diagnosis,” the doctor tells The Daily Star. “It is the just the nature of young people being comfortable just showing pictures like these.”
Doctors, however, aren’t so comfortable with it. Especially when the patients are under the age of 18.
“When photos are in the medical record, generally, you have safeguards,” Lois Shepherd, a health ethicist at the University of Virginia, explains. “Obviously, we are concerned about situations where boundaries are breached and where people are sending their photos in a way to create an improper relationship between a healthcare provider and patient, minor or not minor.”
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Shepherd adds: “So many conditions would have to be in place to make this appropriate. Professional groups need to sit down and think about what they’re going to do about it.”
What do you think? Would you be comfortable sending your doctor a dick pic in lieu of going in for a face-to-face visit? Sound off in the comments section below.
Peter Jonsson
LMFAO
onthemark
The doc in the photo seems rather amused.
Marky
Lazy AND trashy.
WOW. WOW.
Blackceo
Why does someone have the cell phone number of their doctor in the first place? I have a good relationship with my doctor. He’s been my doctor for years, but I don’t have his cell phone number. I mean I keep very strict boundaries with people like that and in the professional workplace so maybe I’m reaching but thats what pops out to me upon hearing this. Not ewww but why do you have your doctor’s number in the first place. So I’m wondering if fault of this also lies in the doctor for this to occur in the first place. People are going to be tacky because many of them just don’t know any better but this all seems rather avoidable.
Billy Budd
I am versatile and because of this I once had HPV on my ass. But I would never send a picture of my ass in order to get a diagnosis. I already knew what I had anyway.
Blackceo
@Billy Budd:
So wait….BECAUSE you are versatile you got HPV on your ass? No buddy that is not how it works. I’m versatile too and have never gotten a visit from the HPV? I’m sure your meaning is different from how you worded it but being versatile has nothing to do with contracting HPV.
onthemark
@Billy Budd: LOL. Does that sound sexier in Portuguese? Somehow that seems unlikely.
Grant Baldwin
It is a changing world. I live in a rural small area and one of my specialists I have to go to the hospital and Skype with them because no one stays long enough to keep them in the position here. I take photos of other parts of my body during flare ups because I can have drastic rashes and color changes on my face and it be gone before I can see a doctor. I think regular in person appointments are important but in today’s world changes occur. The health system here allows me to electronically attach files if I need to send them.
Billy Budd
@Blackceo: No, it is not exactly that. It is actually because someone with HPV inserted a contaminated finger in my butt. I have ALWAYS used condoms during my entire life.
Invert
Strange, my doctor texts me photos of HIS junk…
hyhybt
@Blackceo: Some people are freer with their cell numbers than others. But if being called all hours of the day and night even on your days off isn’t reason enough not to give it out, these photos should be!
John Kuehnle
I hope for medical advice, still..