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The Things Patients Don't Want to Discuss with a Doctor
These include the high-stakes secrets that women share only with their therapist (or their therapist-like best friend), like the fact that they're having an affair with a married man, sleeping with more than one guy or having unprotected anal sex.
Reasons to talk about this: There are over 40 kinds of STIs, and some can be life threatening if left untreated. Your doctor may notice something unusual during a pelvic exam or a Pap smear, but many STIs require separate tests, says Lauren Streicher, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Contrary to popular belief, there's no one test that can "catch everything." You might need to get a swab for gonorrhea and chlamydia (which doesn't usually present obvious symptoms), or you may need a blood test for herpes, HIV, hepatitis and syphilis—and these aren't usually part of a wellness visit.
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