Questions for menstrual history and pregnancies

[FWHEAT]

What do you say or ask when youre assessing a patient and you ask about menstrual history and pregnancy? I get it has to do with a womans period or not but what kind of questions do you ask?

 

[DesertMedic66]

"Ma'am, when was your last menstrual cycle?"
"Is there a possibility you are pregnant?"
Sometimes I'll even go as far as "are you sexually active?"
"How many times have you been pregnant? How many births? Any miscarriages? Any abortions?"

It's usually best to ask direct questions and not hint at what information you want.

 

[NomadicMedic]

^^^ this.

If you want answers, ask direct questions.

 

[gotbeerz001]

^^^ this.

If you want answers, ask direct questions.

Same with suicidal pts; just ask.
"Do you want to hurt/kill yourself?"
"How were you going to do it?"
"Do you have access to such things?"

It is our job to uncomplicate things; asking vague questions often adds complexity.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[EpiEMS]

Direct questions are your best bet to get the answers you need in contexts like this. If you have got to ask, you should just ask.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DesertMedic66]

Now if your asking a underage female if she is pregnant or sexually active you will probably get more truthful answers when family is not around.

 

[hometownmedic5]

I would add to the LMP question, "was it normal in all regards, or different in some way".

Are you sexually active, and do you use protection every time?

Have you had unprotected sex in the last two months, or a failure or incidence of non compliance in your birth control method?

We're clinicians. We're expected to be able to talk about these things. It might be awkward, but it needs to be done.

 

[S911S]

This is a good answer!