How to Feel Comfortable Undressing at the Doctor's Office

Getting Ready Ahead of Time

Ask what you can expect. Asking the doctor’s office staff what you can expect in your upcoming appointment will help alleviate anxiety, because you will have a good idea what you’ll encounter during your visit. If you’re having a specific procedure done, watch some videos and read articles about how the procedure is conducted, why it’s done, and even potential complications. Your doctor’s Office Manager may be helpful in directing you to resources that are specific to your visit and your doctor’s specialty. The doctor or nurse should have no issue explaining the process step-by-step to you. Make sure to let a nurse know that you are shy and ask specifically what amount of clothing you need to remove. For example, will you need to remove your bra and/or underwear? Or just your outer clothing? Will you be able to cover up with a gown? Also, especially for younger patients, asking the doctor to explain every step of the appointment or procedure as its being done can significantly reduce anxiety and discomfort.

Arrange to take someone with you. Consider bringing your partner, parent, or a close friend to the doctor’s appointment with you. If you are under 16, then this is a requirement in some countries. Bringing a companion with you for emotional support can be just the boost of encouragement you need. Your companion will also help alleviate your anxiety by being a loving and familiar presence. In many cases, you can be provided with a female escort if you are female and the doctor is male, or a male escort if you are male and the doctor is female. This is to help ensure your comfort and to protect the medical staff. If an escort is not provided, then ask for one. Understand that you will likely have to expose yourself to this companion, so make sure that you’re comfortable with them seeing you in any state of undress.

Take a shower. You may be more comfortable with undressing at the doctor’s office if you take a shower or bath beforehand. Perhaps you may want to shave your face, legs, pubis or underarms as well. Keep in mind that your doctor will overlook any odor in an emergency situation, so do not feel embarrassed if you have not had a chance to shower due to an urgent need to seek medical attention.

Consider if your doctor is right for you. Who you choose for a doctor is largely determined by insurance, availability, and proximity. You may not have a chance to meet the doctor before your first appointment. However, you can research the doctor before scheduling an appointment, and if you do not feel comfortable with the doctor after your first appointment with them, then you can always try a different doctor.

Communicate your religious needs. You may be nervous about undressing at the doctor’s office because of your religious beliefs. When the appointment begins, simply tell the intake nurse that you are uncomfortable undressing for religious reasons. Medical personnel have been trained to sensitively and respectfully accommodate cultural and religious needs.

Managing Your Appointment

Bring a distraction. Distracting the mind does wonders for alleviating anxiety and even helping block out pain. Bring something engaging to do with you while at the doctor’s office, which should distract you and calm your discomfort a bit. Make sure that whatever you bring is not noisy or distracting to others. Books and e-readers are great options. Smartphones and tablets are also great to bring along. You can surf the web, play games, or explore other apps.

Exercise your option to decline. Although you’ve been asked to disrobe, completely or partially, and to cover back up with a gown or large paper sheet, you have the right to decline. Politely decline and ask for an alternative to disrobing if you still don’t feel comfortable. You can say, “I’m very nervous about undressing. Is there any way I can remain partially clothed?”

Stop the appointment. You have a right to stop the appointment or examination at any time, which must be respected by doctors and nurses alike. The only exception to this is if you are in the middle of a procedure that would put you in an unsafe position were it not completed, or if equipment is being used that makes stopping immediately an impossible choice.

Don’t be embarrassed by biological reactions. Your body may react to your anxiety about undressing, the temperature of the room, or even the doctor’s examination. While these reactions are not probably what you’d hope for, they’re nothing to be embarrassed about. Your doctor understands that the body has varied reactions and that your reactions aren’t at all sexual. Some common reactions are erections, hardened nipples, underarm odor, and flatulence.

Becoming Comfortable in Your Skin

Deal with your anxieties. Think about what it is that is worrying you about undressing at the doctor’s office. Once you’ve identified the root of your anxiety, you can start the process of dealing with your worries. You might find that your anxiety is dramatically reduced simply by identifying the cause. If it isn’t, consider talking with a counselor to help you work through your anxiety.

Give yourself permission to be nervous. It’s normal and perfectly acceptable to feel nervous about undressing at the doctor’s office, especially if this is a new experience for you. If you’re nervous, remind yourself that your doctor is a trained medical professional that is there to give you a routine examination, one that they’ve given hundreds of other patients. Take a deep breath, try to relax, and your appointment will be over before you know it.

Learn meditative techniques. Meditation helps regulate breathing and calm the mind. Learning a few simple meditative techniques will help calm your anxiety, will help you focus when you’re nervous or uncomfortable, and will help you control noisy thoughts that might be distracting you. Fortunately, there are books, websites, videos, and local centers that can teach you a variety of meditative techniques. If you find yourself feeling uncomfortable, close your eyes and breathe. This simple action encourages you to stop, quiet down, and instantly diffuses anxiety. This is especially helpful during any uncomfortable procedures, too, such as a pelvic or rectal examination.

Communicate your gender variance. Medical personnel are obligated to treat you with respect and dignity, and with that, address you as the gender with which you identify. You might be uncomfortable undressing at the doctor’s office because you identify as a gender other than cis-male or cis-female and do not want to be in a vulnerable position of undress. Remember that these are medical professionals who are not there to make judgment, only to assist you medically. As always, you have the right to ask for alternative solutions to undressing or stop the appointment should you become too uncomfortable. Communicating about your medical needs and issues with your doctor may be uncomfortable also as some of the conversation may use verbiage that relates to sex. Your doctor should understand this and be appropriately patient.

Addressing past trauma. You may have experienced physical, emotional, or psychological trauma in the past that makes undressing or disrobing in front of others an anxiety-producing experience. Communicate this, as you are comfortable, with the intake nurse so that they can pass along to the doctor that you will require accommodations. Medical personnel are bound by confidentiality rules, so they will not share what you tell them with anyone other than those in the office that must know, such as the doctor.