I suspect that the author of this comic gets asked these questions by doctors without understanding why they ask, and it can be confusing.
Why is it important whether she’s pregnant? Because treatment options vary and also if the doctor accidentally causes an abortion, there can be legal, sometimes even criminal, consequences.
Why not just ask if she’s pregnant and call it a day? Well, they can ask, but patients might not know or they might lie. Roundabout questions are more definitive.
Why not just run a pregnancy test? They do, but it’s better to know sooner.
When every single fucking ER visit for someone who knows they are not pregnant due to not having sex or not being physically able to get pregnant starts with a pregnancy test ‘just in case’ instead of addressing the issue you came in for it is clear that they aren’t going to listen to you about the real issue.
I’m in Canada. I’ve been to the hospital more than most people. I’ve never been asked about my period when it wasn’t something directly related, and I get put on a lot of meds. Sometimes they ask if I could be pregnant, but that’s it.
Asking about the last period when immediate concerns have nothing to do with reproduction is about how women’s health and concerns get shafted in some most countries.
In the case of the comic, she’s in the ER, and it’s possible that she might need anesthesia for surgery, so I think that’s a case where pregnancy is directly related.
And yet the last period date has nothing to do with whether someone is pregnant or not. A large percentage of women have irregular periods, or don’t get a period due to birth control or other factors. A number of doctors have spoken out about the relevance of questions they’re required to ask about women’s periods in their chart software.
In the case of the comic, she has an open wound on her arm the doctor isn’t immediately a-dressing (pun intended.)
I don’t want to assume your sex, but I have a strong suspicion.
I’m highly irregular because of a medical condition, the same condition that sets my ability to naturally get pregnant around 0.01% It’s fine, I have a terrible phobia of pregnancy anyway. My condition is not uncommon, nor is it the only one that causes irregular or skipped periods. Most women experience late or skipped periods at some point during their supposedly regular menstruating years anyway.
You know what gets you pregnant? Having a working female reproductive system and making sweet, penetrative love to someone who has a working male reproductive system.
Menstruation is the first part of the cycle. It begins when your ovum (egg) from the previous cycle does not get fertilized, meaning you did not get pregnant.
How odd. You said that “the last period date has nothing to do with whether someone is pregnant or not,” and then to prove it, you gave me a link that says the exact opposite.
This reinforces my theory that we are not speaking the same language.
Yep, there’s a lot of good information there and I sensed a bit of a lack of understanding about periods and healthcare.
From that same article:
However, sex with a penis in the five days before ovulation can also lead to pregnancy since sperm can live up to five days inside of you when it’s nice and happy swimming around in the type of cervical mucus you have coating your vagina at this point in the cycle.
Change and irregularities in your cycle make it hard to precisely calculate of the day of ovulation.
The context of this is still the comic where a woman with a gunshot wound is complaining of a gunshot wound, where the doctor has asked when her last period occurred instead of taking care of the open would. Something you kinda glossed over in favor of knocking at the weakest part of my comment — my use of the word “nothing.” This tells me you don’t really care about understanding another viewpoint, you’re trying to score a point in the argument.
Anyway, if someone’s last period was three weeks ago, they could be pregnant. If it was six months ago, they could be pregnant. If it was seven months ago, they could have an IUD or another birth control, which could cause a drug interaction, so that’s good to know. If she’s on her period right now, she could be breastfeeding, and studies have shown local anaesthetic will shows up in breast milk.
In Canada, I get asked if I’m pregnant or breastfeeding if there might be an issue, not this roundabout period date bullshit.
Something you kinda glossed over in favor of knocking at the weakest part of my comment — my use of the word “nothing.” This tells me you don’t really care about understanding another viewpoint, you’re trying to score a point in the argument.
The weakest part of your comment? It was the first sentence of your comment. That’s where people put their strongest point. The point that they want to emphasize the most.
And what’s your argument without that point? That the question is only useful sometimes? That makes it like almost every other question the doctor asks. If it’s sometimes useful, and when it’s useful, it’s very useful, then it makes sense for a doctor to ask the question.
Your argument is strongest if you can pretend the question about periods is never useful. I believe that’s why you led off with the point. Because it was your strongest point and essential to your argument. And that’s why I focused on it.
I didn’t say the menstrual cycle though, I said the last period date. No matter how much time has passed since someone’s last period, it doesn’t tell you whether they’re pregnant or not.
You’re a doctor. A patient comes in to your office, 5’3", woman, 175lbs, looks hydrated — you ask her last period date, she says “about four weeks ago.”
Do you now know anything about whether or not she’s pregnant?
Assuming you’re a man, I think we should make you take a pregnancy test every time you go to the doctor. After all, for all the doc knows, you could be a trans guy. So if it’s all about just covering all your basis, pay up for your pregnancy test sir!
I assume they would know your biological sex from your records, and that’s how they know to ask this of cis woman. There are lots of androgynous looking people out there.
I think a good doctor would provide this explanation to the patient. Be like “Okay, let’s get you fixed up! The medications and techniques we use change if you’re pregnant, so can you tell me when your last period is?” Only takes a second. Doctors should be aware that women often feel ignored and mistreated in a medical context (given the body of literature and studies demonstrating such), so like, they should work to correct that issue. It shouldn’t be difficult to do. It just requires a wee little bit of empathy.
I suspect that the author of this comic gets asked these questions by doctors without understanding why they ask, and it can be confusing.
Why is it important whether she’s pregnant? Because treatment options vary and also if the doctor accidentally causes an abortion, there can be legal, sometimes even criminal, consequences.
Why not just ask if she’s pregnant and call it a day? Well, they can ask, but patients might not know or they might lie. Roundabout questions are more definitive.
Why not just run a pregnancy test? They do, but it’s better to know sooner.
When every single fucking ER visit for someone who knows they are not pregnant due to not having sex or not being physically able to get pregnant starts with a pregnancy test ‘just in case’ instead of addressing the issue you came in for it is clear that they aren’t going to listen to you about the real issue.
I’m in Canada. I’ve been to the hospital more than most people. I’ve never been asked about my period when it wasn’t something directly related, and I get put on a lot of meds. Sometimes they ask if I could be pregnant, but that’s it.
Asking about the last period when immediate concerns have nothing to do with reproduction is about how women’s health and concerns get shafted in
somemost countries.In the case of the comic, she’s in the ER, and it’s possible that she might need anesthesia for surgery, so I think that’s a case where pregnancy is directly related.
And yet the last period date has nothing to do with whether someone is pregnant or not. A large percentage of women have irregular periods, or don’t get a period due to birth control or other factors. A number of doctors have spoken out about the relevance of questions they’re required to ask about women’s periods in their chart software.
In the case of the comic, she has an open wound on her arm the doctor isn’t immediately a-dressing (pun intended.)
I am unsure how to communicate with a person who would say that unironically. We may not be speaking the same language.
I don’t want to assume your sex, but I have a strong suspicion.
I’m highly irregular because of a medical condition, the same condition that sets my ability to naturally get pregnant around 0.01% It’s fine, I have a terrible phobia of pregnancy anyway. My condition is not uncommon, nor is it the only one that causes irregular or skipped periods. Most women experience late or skipped periods at some point during their supposedly regular menstruating years anyway.
You know what gets you pregnant? Having a working female reproductive system and making sweet, penetrative love to someone who has a working male reproductive system.
Here are some neat reading materials on menstruating: https://ourbodiesourselves.org/subject-area/menstrual-cycle/p2
Okay, I’ll play along. But you failed to link an article, just a list of articles, so I’ll have to pick one.
Hmm… This one looks good, “The Menstrual Cycle”:
How odd. You said that “the last period date has nothing to do with whether someone is pregnant or not,” and then to prove it, you gave me a link that says the exact opposite.
This reinforces my theory that we are not speaking the same language.
Yep, there’s a lot of good information there and I sensed a bit of a lack of understanding about periods and healthcare.
From that same article:
The context of this is still the comic where a woman with a gunshot wound is complaining of a gunshot wound, where the doctor has asked when her last period occurred instead of taking care of the open would. Something you kinda glossed over in favor of knocking at the weakest part of my comment — my use of the word “nothing.” This tells me you don’t really care about understanding another viewpoint, you’re trying to score a point in the argument.
Anyway, if someone’s last period was three weeks ago, they could be pregnant. If it was six months ago, they could be pregnant. If it was seven months ago, they could have an IUD or another birth control, which could cause a drug interaction, so that’s good to know. If she’s on her period right now, she could be breastfeeding, and studies have shown local anaesthetic will shows up in breast milk.
In Canada, I get asked if I’m pregnant or breastfeeding if there might be an issue, not this roundabout period date bullshit.
The weakest part of your comment? It was the first sentence of your comment. That’s where people put their strongest point. The point that they want to emphasize the most.
And what’s your argument without that point? That the question is only useful sometimes? That makes it like almost every other question the doctor asks. If it’s sometimes useful, and when it’s useful, it’s very useful, then it makes sense for a doctor to ask the question.
Your argument is strongest if you can pretend the question about periods is never useful. I believe that’s why you led off with the point. Because it was your strongest point and essential to your argument. And that’s why I focused on it.
The other person is probably upset because you wrote that last period date has nothing to do with pregnancy.
I reality, it does have something to do with it, but is not the only reason that the menstrual cycle is delayed.
I didn’t say the menstrual cycle though, I said the last period date. No matter how much time has passed since someone’s last period, it doesn’t tell you whether they’re pregnant or not.
Not just something to do with it, a whole hell of a lot to do with it.
You might as well say that clouds have nothing to do with the rain.
Riddle me this:
You’re a doctor. A patient comes in to your office, 5’3", woman, 175lbs, looks hydrated — you ask her last period date, she says “about four weeks ago.”
Do you now know anything about whether or not she’s pregnant?
Assuming you’re a man, I think we should make you take a pregnancy test every time you go to the doctor. After all, for all the doc knows, you could be a trans guy. So if it’s all about just covering all your basis, pay up for your pregnancy test sir!
Not after the first physical, lol.
I assume they would know your biological sex from your records, and that’s how they know to ask this of cis woman. There are lots of androgynous looking people out there.
I think a good doctor would provide this explanation to the patient. Be like “Okay, let’s get you fixed up! The medications and techniques we use change if you’re pregnant, so can you tell me when your last period is?” Only takes a second. Doctors should be aware that women often feel ignored and mistreated in a medical context (given the body of literature and studies demonstrating such), so like, they should work to correct that issue. It shouldn’t be difficult to do. It just requires a wee little bit of empathy.