School Physical

[CamilliaJGP]

I've always found it odd how genital exams are rare occurrences for girls, but super common place for boys. For example, this is the form students from the local school district turn in when they get their school physicals for entrance into Kindergarten, 2nd, 4th, 7th, and 10th grade. http://www.ekcsk12.org/cms/lib07/NY01913389/Centricity/Domain/209/Enrollment%20Packet.pdf

Relevant passage: During the required examination, the FNP checks the skin, eyes, nose, throat, heart, lungs, checks for structural deformities,abdomen, and external genitalia (all males). This examination does not include a lady partsl exam nor a breast exam. Height,weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, vision, and hearing are done by the school nurse prior to the physical exam.

Even for non-school exams it's standard procedure to do a quick "plumbing" check (testicles and foreskin, if present) at all well-child check ups for male patients, but nothing for female patients.

Is this common place?

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

A genitalia check for a male is likely visual only (unless it was documents differently). I cannot imagine a pedi PCP doing an internal lady partsl exam unless there was a specific complaint. For internal exams, even then, typically female students at my school are referred out to a pedi GYN.

[CamilliaJGP]

It's visual only unless it's for sports (then a hernia check is done) or the boy is uncircumcised (then he's checked for phimosis). It just seems odd to me that at the very least a visual check isn't routine for females as well (for tanner stage and/or signs of abuse).

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Moved to pediatric nursing.

[sharkdiver]

It's visual only unless it's for sports (then a hernia check is done) or the boy is uncircumcised (then he's checked for phimosis). It just seems odd to me that at the very least a visual check isn't routine for females as well (for tanner stage and/or signs of abuse).

Not everywhere - several states have removed both the male genital and hernia component from their sports physical exam forms.