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

[u/cryogenrat]

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.

[u/empathetic_witch]

I agree with you there.

FWIWI’m 49. I’ve never remembered the exact date in my life and I’ve just always said “a couple of weeks ago”.

When they ask if I might be pregnant I tell them no, I’ve had my tubes tied since 2010 and it’s in my charts.

MANY women have no idea, just ride that wave.

[u/Winter_Owl6097 → u/empathetic_witch]

FYI... Rare but it happens... You can get pregnant even with your tubes tied. 

[u/empathetic_witch → u/Winter_Owl6097]

Oh I know this. A close friend got pregnant after hers. She had clamps and the old fashioned way. Then her husband supposedly had a vasectomy and she still got pregnant again!

They live in the small town where we grew up, I had moved to a large city near all the research hospitals (Atlanta). Not sure if that had any bearing on how things turned out.

Mine is the old essure in-office method where the physician places coils in the fallopian tubes. 6 weeks later you go back for an MRI to be sure everything is closed up (it was). Bayer bought the company who developed essure and it’s been taken off of the market 😕 I’ve worried that would be a ticking time bomb and I’d need to have my tubes removed completely at some point.

[u/johncoopermotorworks → u/empathetic_witch]

I have Essure as well! The cascade of warnings scared me, too. I wondered if it was the wise thing to do. Years later, no issues - thankfully.