Do whatever you want.

[r-cake]

[thegoodvybe]

[destroymylife]

[understands]

[cockroach-queer]

Some things it is A-OK to say to your doctor:

No

Wait

Stop 

(These are full sentences! You do not need to say any more) 

I am not comfortable. 

I am not comfortable, I would like… 

you to wait a moment.

another person in the room. 

everyone else out of the room. 

a doctor/nurse of my same gender to preform this test/procedure. 

the person who came with me to this appointment in the room. 

you to explain everything before you begin. 

you to tell me what you are doing as you go. 

to do this another day. 

I want to get a second opinion before we proceed.

I don’t understand, please repeat that. 

I don’t understand, please explain more simply. 

Please say that slower/spell that, I want to do some research myself.

I would like to talk to [someone in my life, ie my parents to SO] before making this decision. 

No, I do not need to talk to [anyone] before making this decision, I am confidant on my own and am ready to proceed. 

What are the side effects of this medication/procedure? What are the potential complications? 

Why are you recommending/prescribing this specific thing? 

What other treatment options are there? Why are you choosing this?

Would your treatment plan be different if I were a man/woman older/younger had kids, etc? Why are you choosing this one then?

IS there anything I should know about this treatment you have not yet told me?  

I understand you say not to, but If I choose to do X, against medical advice, what risks am I running? (ie taking recreational drugs while on medication)

How much will this cost? 

Are there any less expensive options/tests we can run first? 

Is there a generic of this medication you can prescribe instead?

I think you are not understanding me, I said…

You are not listening to me, please let me finish describing my symptoms. 

You are not understanding how much pain I am in, let me clarify… 

I do not think it is anxiety/depression/my weight/etc, what else could it potentially be? 

I think by assuming it is anxiety/depression/my weight/etc you are ignoring some symptoms. Please listen again and let’s discuss what else it could be. 

Please write in my chart that you are not testing for X and why not. 

I am in enough pain/this is detrimental enough to my life that non-treatment is not an option. If you can not treat this/figure out what is wrong, to whom can you refer me?

Please write (or help me write) a summary of what we did today so I don’t forget 

What are our next steps? 

If [what you are recommending] is ineffective, what would my next steps be? What other doctor should I talk to? 

What is the best way to contact you if I have additional questions or issues? 

Remember, a doctor is a person YOU pay because they know a lot about bodies in general, to help you figure out whats best for YOUR body. It is still your body, not theirs! They know about medicine but you are the expert in your body. Don’t let them act like they own you. Don’t leave if you’ve still got questions, don’t stay if you’re uncomfortable, and feel free to insist on ANY information you want. 

[that-catholic-shinobi]

ask questions, advocate for yourself. Be aware!!

[doctorkintsugi]

Good list!

[cranquis]

“Remember, a doctor is a person YOU pay because they [paid a lot to] know a lot about bodies in general, to help you figure out whats best for YOUR body.”

Just felt it wouldn’t hurt to point out that doctors aren’t inherently geniuses – it costs blood, sweat, money, time and tears to learn medicine (which is probably why some doctors end up behaving like they DO own your body? not cool). 

great self-advocacy post, that list is golden!

[modernathenamd]

Also, especially if you have specific anxieties, we may not know. As part of my pre-Pap history I always gently let the patient know that sometimes paps are awkward or uncomfortable, and I want them to tell me so I don’t cause them distress. If they don’t automatically know what I’m hinting at, I confirm if they’ve had sex before and will ask if they’ve ever done when they didn’t really want to. This gives someone who is uncomfortable admitting that they’ve been raped or assaulted (especially in the context of a relationship, because we don’t teach that this is still assault) an easy way to let me know. Then I can find ways to make them more comfortable.

For providers: look up the Trauma-Informed Gyn Exam. I do all my paps/pelvics this way and I’ve never had any of my patients be uncomfortable.

[recaption]

[thegoodvybe]

[thegoodvybe]

[dankmemeuniversity]

[animatedtext]

[okrutne]

mood: you and me

[bled]

[luxgalador]

tell ur dogs i said hi ok?

[beginnersonlineyogaclass-deacti]

*accidentally showers for 5 hours*

[bluenude2-blog-blog]

are we gonna fuckn hold hands tonight or what bitch

[mycaptaintazer]

I’ve never identified with something more than this

[stability]