Do you tell your regular Doctor that you cross dress.

[dancer1]

Just curious for my MD knows. I share this with all the female doctors but i do not feel comfortable with male doctors.

[Rei]

My dad is a doctor and I have told him. He was kinda shocked
<3
Rei

[Rikkicn]

Just curious for my MD knows. I share this with all the female doctors but i do not feel comfortable with male doctors.

I know a TG girl that told her doctor who wrote it in her file. Sometime latter her health insurance was not renewed. She was advised that they did not cover transsexual health care, which she realized, had been written incorrectly by her doctor.
Our health care professionals don't know much about this whole gender thing and can't make distinctions with all our terms. In some sense we're all the same to them.
My feeling is that if you know your doctor really, really well or they are known to support TG health care then I would be very cautious.

It hurts me to say that because it means you may have to hide part of yourself and that can't be a good thing. But staying healthy and safe is really important too.

Love,
Rikki

[dancer1]

Well since i was'nt going any where with my therapyst i have an apointment to see her, i feel lost with out indept discussion.
My wife just cant be part of the whole equation. IE: the drive, the wardrobe, the whole pie to speak of. Thanks for ear girlfriend. Nadeen

[KateW]

As dressing has no bearing on whether my doctor can cure a sore throat, I haven't mentioned it so far. I see no need unless I was dressing full time, or having some bits added or removed.

[midwest GG]

When healthcare workers of all kind take their oath, they promise to provide the best medical treatment possible, which includes holistic health...just the nurse in me comming out..sorry But only, only if you totally trust your physician, i agree with that too....

Holistic medicine is a system of health care which fosters a cooperative relationship among all those involved, leading towards optimal attainment of the physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of health.
It emphasizes the need to look at the whole person, including analysis of physical, nutritional, environmental, emotional, social, spiritual and lifestyle values. It encompasses all stated modalities of diagnosis and treatment including drugs and surgery if no safe alternative exists. Holistic medicine focuses on education and responsibility for personal efforts to achieve balance and well being

[azure]

Here in the UK, if I understand it correctly, when you vist the doc and mention an issue with her or her, they make brief notes about the subject incase they need to refer to it again, or another doctor as in a practise with several doctors. Now, the point is, when you nip in and tell your doctor ie. "Ive had a bad back, or Ive been feeling very down, or I wish to discuss becoming a woman" these are written down, AND an employer like the police, or county council(who I may add are more difficult to get a job with than NASA) can ask to see your medical docs, to make sure your fit n healthy to do the job, AND if you tick the box"no I'd rather my prospective employer did'nt see my medical docs!" they will probably reject your application form anyway. Ive been turend down from LOADS of jobs becuase Ive got a "history" of depression and associated illnesses, oh and a smidgin of being transgendered. So anytime want to apply for a job, chances are its a bleedin waste of time, but thats another angst ridden story which isnt applicable here.
I also refused when I was employed while in role, to inform my employers of my transgendered status, I was employed as a woman and that was that, oh
except there was that time when I was told by a certain company who used to have a little bird called busby to advertise, that I had to stand up infront of everyone there and read out a statement "explaining about myself", I that point I started using words like"bloody insult" and "taking you to court for a breach of my human rights, and having you bounced so hard you'll think its next week!" , and they dropped the idea, but then made me use not the girls loo, not the boys loo, BUT, yes you guessed my own loo.

I know Im ranting again.

Sorry.

[Butterfly Bill]

My doctor at the VA hospital knows because I go dressed.

[joanlynn28]

My doctor knows because I told him the last time I saw him. Shared with him that I was having difficulting deciding weither in the future if I would have SRS or HRT. But have yet to tell him that since I have been basically living 70% of the time enfemme that my blood pressure is normal and that now I need to concentrate of lowering my chlolestrerol. A genitic thing from my parents. Thing is my doctor asked me if I had any loaded guns in the house, at first I said yes but than corrected myself. Of course I have guns at home but I don't keep them loaded, don't want to have anyone get accidentally shot. I keep the guns and the ammo seperately. Thing is I don't think my MD sees my pyschological charts from my therapist in my medical charts. I see both of them seperately in the same medical plan "Kaiser" but they are located in two completely different medical centers.

[Barb Valentine]

As dressing has no bearing on whether my doctor can cure a sore throat, I haven't mentioned it so far. I see no need unless I was dressing full time, or having some bits added or removed.

I agree with KateW
I see no need for him to know
He's treating me not the cloths I wear

[Wenda]

Just curious for my MD knows. I share this with all the female doctors but i do not feel comfortable with male doctors.

I relate to your point. I have much less discomfort discussing some sexual topics with female doctors. That being said, I don't discuss with doctors of either gender why my legs, chest, back, well, my whole body is shaved. I don't think that has any significance on my hypertension or whatever I am in their office to get checked.
Interesting point by Azure. In Canada, I don't believe that anyone can access my detailed medical records. (Post 9/11, who the hell knows?) Employers, however, can ask for an independant medical examination, similar to that required for some insurance policies. Never happened to me.
The "depression" topic is also relevant. I have taken zoloft, for which our medical benefits insurer recorded as 'burn out". A lot of CDers deal with depression, and my eldest son, who also dresses and also has dealt with diagnosed depression, and we agree that there seems to be some kind of connection. Depression is still not at all undersood by the public nor the medical profession. Just another detail we have to contend with.
Don't give up on yourself dear. You are in a safe harbour with people who understand, or, if they don't understand, they are sympathetic.

[GabrielleS]

I would also have to agree with Kate. How would being a CDer affect ones health. That said, if one thinks that maybe a health problem is associated with the CDing, then maybe the MD will need to know. For example, allergies might develop from certain makeup being used and then the MD how probably need to know something. In that case, hopefully the doctor would chart it correctly!

[Helen MC]

A similar UK perspective.

I only visit a Doctor about illness or symptoms. Being a CD to me is NOT an illness, I dont "suffer" from it, it brings me great pleasure not pain or unhappiness. Consequently I have not mentioned it to a Doctor nor would I ever do so. Now when I do attend the Doctor I wear women's panties, I wear them 24/7 and have done so since my teens. I do however wear a plain pair in some non-sus colour such as pale blue, black, white, navy etc not pink or floral patterned etc, so if I have to strip to my underwear my briefs would not be considered out of the ordinary as many British men wear flyless full briefs in various colours which are indistinguishable from women's panties, rather than "tighty whities" or boxer shorts.

I like to be in control of who knows of my CD aspects and it is simply of no relevance to my Doctor nor has it any bearing on any medical condition I have. I would also add that in common with the great percentage of Brits I have never been to a psychiatrist and never voluntarily would as in the UK we tend to be very sceptical about that branch of medicine and do not attend such practitioners as a matter of routine.

[Sweet Susan]

I would never tell an American doctor who practices in the U.S. about crossdressing. Privacy is no longer legitimate in the United States with our current governmental administration.

[~Dee~]

my GP is a gawd among doctors as far as im concerned.
hes upfront, honest and truly does care about what happens to his patients.
and the greatest thing i find is that he doesnt treat you like you are some kind of child. he doesnt talk down to you or thinks that he always knows best.

when i went in and told him that i wanted to transition i kind of dumbed it down a little, thinking that he wouldnt know what i was talking about - but hes actually helped someone else transition in the past and therefore knew all the terms and such straight away.

i know that my discussion was noted, my treatments are placed in the computer and i know that there are all the referral letters in the computer too.. but according to him, though people can possibly look at your medical records, that wouldnt include his notes.
it would include what meds you were on and what medical ailments you have had.. but doesnt have in include any notes from off his computer, those still remain private unless specifically requested and court issued stuff is presented.

personally im glad that i have this doc to help me .. the gp over here is the ring master of all the other doctors i have to go see .. i cant go see any specialist unless i have first gotten a referral from the gp .. he recommends who you see and where you go. so for me it was a required evil whether i wanted to or not.


for me its not a big concern, afterall soon ill be attending there while im fulltime and it wont be any kind of secret then. it will be interesting as the same secretary works there that used to work there when i came in as a little kid .. and she remembers my name all the time.. lets see if she can figure it out next year :evil:

[Marlena Dahlstrom]

I told my male chiropractor -- helpful since my back problems can be worse if I was wearing a bra that weekend.

He's of Philipino descent so it didn't seem to faze him that much. We talked about all during the session I told him, but it hasn't come up since then unless I've mentioned it.

[DanaJ]

Here in the UK, if I understand it correctly, when you vist the doc and mention an issue with her or her, they make brief notes about the subject incase they need to refer to it again, or another doctor as in a practise with several doctors.....

This is very true, here in the US too, especially if you go to an HMO doctor. Although I have a regular doctor that I go to 95% of the time, occassionaly I cannot get in to see her, so I see another doctor that is there. And I have had the second doctor ask me about something that I have only mentioned in passing to the first doctor.

Then, don't forget, all the nurses and the administrative people at that doctor's office also have access to your files, and what is in them..... and those people may not have taken any oaths - just another point to consider....

[Stormgirl]

negative

[Kate Simmons]

Yep, My Doc's okay with it. He's just concerned about my health mostly. He likes the fact that I do a lot of disco and club dancing. It keeps me in shape and is good for my cardio-vascular system. Ericka

[Tiffy]

I just told my doc last month. Had to so I could explain some of my problems. Course all he wanted to do was give me pills.


April Marie

[EricaCD]

Just a CD here - nothing to tell a doc about. If I got a rash because of some cosmetics I was trying, I would of course let the dermatologist know because it would be relevant to treatment. But I don't tell the doc that I wear jeans on the weekends, so I don't see why he should know that some evenings I wear a dress!

Erica

[HaleyPink2000]

First off why would I want too?0.02

[Eugenie]

Here in the UK, if I understand it correctly, when you vist the doc and mention an issue with her or her, they make brief notes about the subject incase they need to refer to it again, or another doctor as in a practise with several doctors. Now, the point is, when you nip in and tell your doctor ie. "Ive had a bad back, or Ive been feeling very down, or I wish to discuss becoming a woman" these are written down, AND an employer like the police, or county council(who I may add are more difficult to get a job with than NASA) can ask to see your medical docs, to make sure your fit n healthy to do the job, AND if you tick the box"no I'd rather my prospective employer did'nt see my medical docs!" they will probably reject your application form anyway.

This is terrible Azure,

I thought all doctors were tied to an oath of confidentiality about their patients records and that even the police had to get a legal warrant to gain access to an individual medical file.

But you say that even your future employer can have access to your med file? What about an insurane company?

I thought this would be impossible. I must have seen too many bad movies...

Back to the initial question, I almost came out to my MD. He was seeing that I felt depressed and asked me what was wrong. I didn't tell him. Perhaps if it had been a female doctor I would have felt more confident...


Eugenie

[HaleyPink2000]

RE: Telling my GP "Doctor"

Ok, if I told my Doctor what could it do for me or against me>

1st thing a person could have their employer know right off about it, or their insurance company. You might have signed your rights away when you hired on. Like working for a State agency like Corrections or the State Police etc. They investigate you at random all the time. Once I told my Doctor all the records He has are shared to many specialists by a waiver I signed at His office. Also my insurance Company gets a copy.

Hmmm? What good would it do me telling Him? He's going to do what for me? I'm Hetro and just dress as a Female. Whats He " my GP "going to be doing for me? That I need to tell Him? Hmmm?

[connie rotten]

I went to my last physical with shaved :legs,underarms,and ext. I was wearing a cute cammi & pantie set and just had my nails done. I doubt she even noticed.