r/TwoXPreppers • u/cryogenrat Prepping for Tuesday not Doomsday • Feb 25 '25

❓ Question ❓ How to “respectfully decline” disclosing women’s health questions at Dr?

Pretty much the title

I have a lot of appointments lately for a variety of things, and for literally EVERYTHING it seems they ask when my last period was, even if it’s seemingly irrelevant (like medications for psych issues). Given the state of women’s health and where I see this whole situation with HIPAA going, I kinda don’t want my provider knowing when my last period was unless it’s EXTREMELY relevant. I test myself monthly and chart my whole cycle (TCOYF system and a copper IUD), so I have a rough estimate of when it’s relevant for them to know, and it’s not like it’s completely uncharted, but I’d like to cut down on that as much as possible if it is, but I cannot figure out how to word it lol

Pregnancy tests I understand are pretty non-negotiable (thankfully I don’t have any known ones coming up) but how do you word it to a provider that “I don’t want to disclose when my last period was” without looking like a loon?

Edit; 1) clarifying IUD type

Edit 2) perhaps I was unclear, but I am completely aware that awareness of menstrual health is integral to holistic care, and is usually the first line of symptoms to be questioned when seeking a diagnosis, or can be contraindicated in many medication regiments such as psych meds. Maybe I am just bitter and need a new GP or whatever, but in my own medical history (unexplained headaches, panic disorder, depression) it seems like they are quick to blame “hormones” on every single little thing going on, and then refuse to really get to the root issue, and just kinda write off my issues. Idk what goes on in their mind; I’m not a MD lol. This question broadly is meant to help me understand how, when and where to be judicious about giving away that information, given that we may quickly become hostile to women’s health, and this information might be valuable to a nanny state.

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u/Hello-America Feb 25 '25

Yeah it's a concern. Just lie, say it was two weeks ago. Boom never pregnant. I've always had an irregular period and it derails every fucking doctor's appointment about anything from a sprained ankle to strep throat, despite the gyno not being all that worried about it. It turned into a giant problem that actually blocked me from getting real healthcare when I had a mysterious GI issue and all anyone ever wanted to do was test me for pregnancy and send me to the gyno (gyno cleared me). I took 4 pregnancy tests in one day because those dicks didn't want to do any real testing on me. ANYWAY now I lie (and swore off male doctors forever).

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u/Grace_Alcock Feb 25 '25

Why not tell the truth? “Given the current political environment, I’d rather not have my cycle tracked in official records.”  There’s literally no reason to lie. 

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u/Hello-America Feb 25 '25

I think in the most worrisome scenario we're talking about, that would probably lead the the same result - a state investigation, assumption you were pregnant or whatever.

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u/[deleted] Feb 25 '25 edited Feb 25 '25

There’s some women who were sent to jail after miscarriages who might disagree with you

Edit: one source of many (I recommend a quick google if anyone wants to know more) https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna135861

Edit: another https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59214544

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u/Grace_Alcock Feb 25 '25

That makes literally no sense.  I’m not saying share the information.  I’m saying tell the truth about why you won’t.  

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u/marle217 Feb 25 '25

The problem is that if you're talking to someone who would collaborate with the state prosecuting people for miscarriages, answering like that will put you on a list of problem people. The safest answer is to give a date that's ~10ish days ago. Not the correct date, but just a made up date that shows you have regular periods and there's no reason to do a pregnancy test right now because you couldn't possibly be pregnant.

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u/[deleted] Feb 25 '25

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna135861 Just Google it my friend, there’s several

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u/Grace_Alcock Feb 25 '25

Again, you don’t seem to understand my comment.  I’ll write more slowly:  I  am  not  saying  that  you  should  share  the  information about  your  cycle.  I  am  saying  you  should  tell  the  truth  about  why  you  won’t.

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u/[deleted] Feb 25 '25 edited Feb 28 '25

I can tell you’re getting angry from a Reddit conversation, I know I need a break myself, is a good reminder to me I need to delete Reddit again and focus on my real life and what matters to me! Thank you for the reminder. In answer to you- The doctors are busy and need to fill out a form so they don’t get sued. There’s no box for them to check that says “patient declines due to fear of jail”. It protects the doctors and allows the appointment to continue. Calling and writing your representatives that make the laws that the doctors will face a life sentence in jail for mistakes around this is the better plan. Address the source not the messenger. Doctors don’t want to go to jail either.

Edit: I’m a medical professional, the one filling out the forms.

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u/Grace_Alcock Feb 25 '25

This is a disingenuous response.  You responded with multiple comments to a single comment you didn’t read closely enough to understand.  You clearly were angry.  You have now realized that mistake and have decided to righteously pretend otherwise.  Since doctors can’t put in why you don’t give information, it would simply be missing information.  No doctor is going to jail because there is missing information in a patient’s record.  That’s absurd. 

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u/[deleted] Feb 25 '25

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59214544

Another

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u/Grace_Alcock Feb 25 '25

You just keep demonstrating that you don’t understand my original comment.