Yesterday I had an appointment at a sliding scale clinic. I had my yearly pelvic exam/Pap smear. The doctor asked me questions before she got started, one of them being if I was bisexual.
I was so shocked that I couldn't gather my wits enough to ask her why she would ask me that. She saw my surprise and said that it was a question she normally asks. She didn't ask if I was a lesbian or the "have you had sex with a man that had sex with another man" question. She didn't ask if I was married. She only wanted to know if I was bisexual.
I was not offended, but surprised. I can't think why that would be necessary, and I have never been asked that question during such an exam. I have talked to the few nurses I know, and they are stumped too.
Is it normal to ask a patient if they are bisexual before performing a pelvic exam/Pap smear?