Sexuality on forms

I would just check no answer, I think by law in most states that you have to put that as a choice....

~Josie

 

I sadly about a year ago lied on a form. It was private, but I was too scared to put gay. I would definitely put it now though.

 

Never been asked my sexuality, maybe it's where you live. Even when I gave blood they didn't ask they just wondered if I had sex with a male since a certain year.

 

Lolz, yeah. Just the other day I was at the dentist and the guy asked me if I was in any clubs for school. The poor man was just trying to make conversation. And I went and clumsily dropped the Well-I'm-a-lesbian-so-I-go-to-my-school's-GSA bomb on him. I felt kinda bad for putting him in an awkward situation for a bit, but he started it. He was silent for a few minutes. Then he started talking about movies and how he used to have braces. xD

---------- Post added 13th Dec 2012 at 06:42 PM ----------

Not exactly a form, but I thought was kind of a funny story...

 

I'm one of the lucky few who gets to claim complete comfortability and confidence in both my gender and sexual orientation. It's so much a part of me that it doesn't ever seem truly unrelated when I'm answering questions about myself in general.

 

They ask because means of protection differ depending. For instance lesbians and gay men don't need to worry about pregnancy unless they act opposing their orientation or are in a situation where they are made to do something unwillingly like with rape. Also although not all gay people have STD's statistically gay men have a higher positive HIV rate then straight males.

 

I find it 100% related to your health. Gay men have different sexual health concerns than straight ones, just as transmen and transwomen have different health needs that cisgender men and women and men and women in general have different needs than each other.

For instance, you don't generally need to talk to lesbians about their use of contraceptives. If your doctor knows that, he can better understand what it is you might be needing. And with doctor-patient confidentiality, it's risk-free.

 

I had to put it down to get a library card...which was just weird and uncomfortable. The woman at the desk saw me hesitate at that question though and apologised, telling me that it was a new thing.
I answered honestly, but still....why the Hell do libraries need to know -.-

 

My college has a survey that you have to take if you ever go to the health center for any reason. I usually just check "prefer not to answer." I don't really see how it is relevant if I go to the health center because I'm sick, but they apparently use the same for those that go to the counseling center as well. I could see where it could be relevant for your counselor to know your sexual orientation.

 

I'm not ashamed either, I just don't see why a doctor would need to know that.

---------- Post added 14th Dec 2012 at 09:52 AM ----------

Hence why they should be told about those risks.
Again your orientation is irrelevant to your health.
Your sexual history is important.

I'm not getting into this whole correlation=/=causation and promiscuity debate again.

Again, if you're a virgin or only had one sexual partner in your entire life, your sexuality is completely superfluous to your health.

---------- Post added 14th Dec 2012 at 09:54 AM ----------

2 Things, a lesbian woman can still get raped and as such should be aware of contraceptives don't you think?
Also, unless you have sex related questions, why would a doctor need to know your sexual orientation, especially if you're either a virgin or only had sex with one person ever?

Again, it's your sexual history, not sexuality, that affects your health.

 

Your sexuality will be important later and your doctor really does need to know everything to provide you with adequate preparation, unless you literally plan to stay a virgin your whole life, or only have one sex partner, and even then plans can go awry.

I recently came out to my doctor as bi. I developed eczema in a rather personal area. Figured it was probably eczema, but I had done stupid things once or twice in between my last STD screening and when that happened, and it could've been something else. Better to tell them and get the best treatment options you can, in case you end up having something.

 

Unless you specifically ask, why should a doctor give you sex ed.?
Here, we learn those things in school. Sexuality, nor sex for that matter, has ever been mentioned in any conversation I've had with my doctor.

That's my point. You have a specific problem. That doesn't seem to be the case with the OP. He's talking about having to fill in a form. Just like another poster who mentioned he had to come out to his doctor when he went in for astma related issues.

As I said, you have a problem directly related to your sexual history/sexuality. At that point it's understandable for your doctor to ask these things.
This does not seem to be the case with the OP or with some other posters, they get asked about their sexuality when there's no reason to.

 

I don't think springing information on them at the last minute, when things happen, is doing you or anyone else any favors.

 

I understand why this question may be asked for medical reasons, but I always thought it was illegal for an employer to ask of a persons sexuality both in the job interviewing process and in the workplace. I may be wrong, or maybe that's just in Australia? Well i do know it's illegal to fire someone due to their sexuality here as it is considered unfair dismissal.

I think if my sexuality was questioned in private by a doctor or something i would probably be able to answer honestly, although if there were other people around i don't think i would feel comfortable..

 

I wrote that I was gay on a medical form, but also noted that I am not sexually active, because that is true. of course, it was a visit to check on a sinus infection, so it didnt matter.

 

As I said, here in the Netherlands sex ed. is done in highschool, not by the doctor.
You can always talk with one about it of course, but unless you want to know/talk about it, I don't see why your doctor has to know your sexuality before hand.

 

It seems like the only place where I am ''out'' (except obviously here) are on those ''diversity and equality'' surveys that need to be filled out when doing applications.

I think I am only truthful there because no one will really find out my response so there's no use lying about it.

I think you felt awkward about it because you have been so focused on coming out to people that you actually know that when it finally comes to telling strangers you kind of feel like you have to do the whole process again, mainly because being straight is like the default option....