If you’re not already having frank conversations with your doctor, some of these might make you blush, especially 3, 4, and 5. But being fully open, honest, and out with your doctor is critical to your health. Start talking about these nine things with your primary care provider right away.
#1: Your financial situation.
Wait. That’s not really anybody else’s business, right? And it certainly has nothing to do with your primary care doctor, right?
Wrong.
If you’re going through financial difficulty, that pressure may be contributing to some of your symptoms, or leading to arguments at home that land on your health. Amazing financial success brings its own pressures. Stressors count, and your doctor should know about them.
#2: You’ve lost interest in sex.
You may be more inclined to talk about physical ailments and less inclined to talk about your sex drive. Don’t fall victim to shyness. Emotional and sexual health can point your doctor toward a physical problem.
Chronic stress, anxiety, depression, an eating disorder, or a hormone imbalance can all lower your sex drive. To build the right plan for you, your doctor needs to know right away if your desire has dropped.
#3: You’re having a whole lot of sex.
On the flip side, let’s say you’re hooking up with a different catch each night. Your doctor needs to know that too.
Lots of sex with multiple partners raises your risk for STDs like gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, and it may (or may not) be a sign of emotional distress. Be totally upfront about your sexual history and how often you have sex, so we test the right way and talk about prevention that fits your life.
#4: You get paid to have sex.
If you’re involved in paid sexual activity, as a sex worker or in porn, your doctor needs to know.
Our number one goal at The Doctor is to keep you healthy, safe, and sane. The best way for our providers to do that is for you to raise the curtain on your life. Whatever you say is protected and held to the highest standard of confidentiality. We can’t help you if we don’t know the full story.
#5: All the kinky secrets about your sex life.
Okay, this one is a biggie. Again, this is a judgement-free zone, so let’s keep it real.
If you enjoy toys like large dildos in your anus, your doctor needs to know. If you get into fisting, your doctor needs to know. If you have sex without protection, your doctor needs to know.
This activity may be perfectly fine for your body, or it may be causing damage. Our providers will work to understand what you’re into, help you do it safely, and tell you plainly if something is hurting you.
Be warned: a judgement-free zone doesn’t mean your doctor will never suggest you stop something that’s harming your body. It means they’ll say it with care and without shame, which is what you want from a primary care provider.
- PrEP has options now: a daily pill, on-demand dosing for some people, or an injection every two months. Any of them beats hoping.
- Doxy-PEP: a dose of doxycycline within 72 hours after sex cuts chlamydia and syphilis substantially for gay and bisexual men and transgender women who have had a bacterial STI in the past year. Ask us if it fits you.
- Testing means three sites. Gonorrhea and chlamydia live in the throat and rectum too, and a urine test alone misses them. Here’s the full story.
#6: You take over-the-counter meds, steroids, or any unprescribed drugs.
Keep a list of everything you take, prescribed or not, and bring it to every visit. Tell your provider everything, even if it’s Tylenol or Benadryl, and especially if it’s a recreational drug or unprescribed steroids. Combined with a prescription, any of these can produce serious side effects or an overdose.
Include multivitamins, herbal sleep supplements, and headache powders. And if a specialist prescribes something new, tell your primary care provider right away.
#7: You noticed blood in your stool.
If there’s blood in your stool, you probably already know that’s a problem. But if you don’t look, you won’t know. So take a peek, and if you see something strange, say something.
Is this really something to bring to your doctor? Definitely. It could save your life. Blood in the stool can be a sign of colorectal cancer, which is very often curable when it’s caught early. Mention any change in your bathroom habits, including constipation.
#8: You think you’re depressed.
If you’ve been feeling down lately, or for a long time, make an appointment and come talk about it. Never be embarrassed to ask a doctor about depression. It can leave you fatigued and achy and take your appetite and your sex drive with it. The sooner we know, the sooner you’re on a path to feeling better.
Our providers assess and treat depression, and we have psychiatric care in-house when it’s the right next step. If it’s hard to say out loud, bring a friend who can say it for you.
#9: You quit your meds.
First, let’s get this out of the way: your doctor probably already knows. Blood work, your body’s progress, and your symptoms tell the story.
Don’t wait until things get worse. Tell your doctor right away if you stop taking a medication for any reason. Side effects? There may be an alternative, or a reason to push through. Someone talked you out of it? Say so. Stopping before the plan is finished, without telling anyone, can be dangerous.
If you trust your doctor enough to keep coming in, trust the plan too, or find a provider whose words you’ll honor. Either way, talk to us first.
