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Home › Articles › Health › Sexual Health – Guy Style

Sexual Health – Guy Style

Preparing Your Son for His First Exam

By Tamekia Reece

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The interview isn't going to be just a session with the physician firing off questions. It's also your son's time to address any questions or concerns he may have.

Physical Inspection

After the interview, your son will have to remove his clothing and put on a drape sheet. The doctor will do a testicular exam, where he checks the testicles for signs of testicular cancer, which is most common in older adolescents and young adults. The penis and scrotum will then be checked for warts, bumps, lumps, sores and unusual discharge. Then comes what's commonly referred to as the "turn your head and cough" portion of the exam. Here, as the name suggests, your son will turn his head and cough to be checked for hernias. (Dr. Wibbelsman says a rectal exam isn't part of the routine physical exam.) None of these things should be painful to your son. If they are, he should tell the doctor because it could signify a problem.

STD Tests

The final step of the exam is getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases. When you or your son schedules the appointment, you should specifically ask for STD screening because often times doctors won't do this automatically. During the physical exam, STDs like pubic lice and genital warts aredetectable, but other tests will be needed to check for other infections. Urine samples are tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea. Samples of blood may be drawn to test for HIV, herpes or hepatitis. Any unusual discharge gathered during the swab test can be checked for gonorrhea, herpes or syphilis. Your son can expect to receive test results in about a week.


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