Sensitive, does anyone remember having breast checks as a teenager?

[Remotew]

This has been playing on my mind. When I was a teenager my GP, male, would do physical breast checks. This was in the 70's. Please tell me that this was normal practice.

Would anyone now think that it was acceptable for your GP to feel your breasts for lumps??

hmmm...........(not medical related) BUT remember in primary school (last year) and we were doing some school play and needed to be tanned in colour..............

ALL the kids were taken in groups into the school teachers staffroom and covered in a fake tan substance........
There was no concern about girls/boys privacy (staffroom door was left open and mixed groups), We were all stood in knickers/underpants and it was the teachers who applied the tanning stuff.

I remember feeling embarassed, esp as I was an early developer and had even started periods...

I now have a 2.10 & 12 month old and so hope schools have a little more consideration now iykwim..esp for the older end of the primary school...

I remember in secondary school we had a breast examination (just the one). It was a male doctor but I'm pretty sure there was a nurse or teacher in the room. It was an all-girls private school & I was there from '76 to '83.

Glad I could help

Abouteve, this is not relevant to your question but I had a medical for insurance purposes (not UK) when I was in my twenties and did not like the way my breasts were groped, with no chaperon present.

To this day, I have always requested for a female doctor at the GPs or for a medical if it had anything vaguely female or gynaelogical involved. Since then, my breasts have never been examined in that pervy way.

My father is a GP and he will always insist on a chaperon present - for his protection as much as for the patient's.

Message withdrawn

I've only had my dr examine my breasts once after I - or rather my bf! found a fatty lump in one of them once. It transpired to be some sort of cyst or anyrate, harmless. I've always had a male dr though so it doesn't bother me and I probably wouldn't ask for a chaperone either.

Really cod, why not??

Isn't it to do with being aware of changes at any time rather than examining just once a month?

Thanks for all your replies. I think I can now lay this niggling worry to bed. It seems that this was commonplace back in the dark ages. Nice to know I was'nt being fondled without reason.

Also if any male doctor said he wanted to feel my boobs nowadays I would refuse.

icod,why not..? AFAIK they do recommend it...surely they do...there are posters everywhere advising us to be aware of our bodies and to look for changes...

If we don't selfexamine then how can we be aware of possible problem...?!

I have just been to our local chemist, and whilst in there I spotted a 'breast self-examination kit'. So surely that encourages self-examination?

I always quickly glide my hands over, under and around my breasts when in the shower or bath, and then do the 'lift up arms and look for pulling/dimpling' thing in the mirror afterwards.

I don't think I will stop, even if it is now recommended we don't self-examine. It has become a habit.

A medical check every 6 months from start of menstruation?!!!

Why for god's sake, how many obstetric related illnesses does one woman get in one lifetime???!!!

Remind me never EVER to live in Germany.