Oh, yuck, Gris.

Though, I have to lament about the fact that at least you get believed. We girls still get pregnancy tests run on us, even when we say we're not sexually active. And, I do understand the reasoning, though, I did get snippy with the nurse in the ER that ran a pregnancy test on me a week ago when I was in for steroid-related side effects. Not only did I tell her that I'm not currently sexually active, but I also told her I have an IUD, and she still ran the test. Whatever. Talk about rubbing it all in, though.

We girls still get pregnancy tests run on us, even when we say we're not sexually active.

this has never happened to me, although my gp did roll her eyes at me when I said I wanted to be screened for STDs even though I hadn't had any symptoms.

My PCP doesn't do it. She knows better. But, every trip to the ER or GYN, I get a pregnancy test.

that's bizarre. And they charge you for it?

Well, I'm sure someone's paying for it, though I have pretty much 100% insurance coverage.

I know at the hospital system I use, they routinely do pregnancy tests on any female who is of "child-bearing age."

I can't tell you how many pregnancy tests I've had to have when there was absolutely no way I could be pregnant. Even when you say, "I haven't had sex in a year," they still test me. It's annoying.

Of course, it also happens to my girlfriend who explains that she's a lesbian and in a relationship with a woman and hasn't had sex with a man in over 10 years.

that's bizarre. And they charge you for it?

I don't know about charging, but the ER really does have to perform a pregnancy test every time. Mostly, it's because of liability. If someone says they're not pregnant -- whether they really believe that or they're lying for whatever reason -- and then they're prescribed a teratogenic drug that harms the fetus, the hospital is FUCKED, legally.

Sadly, a lot of patients to the ER lie about not being pregnant when they really are. Some are women who come in with parents/spouses/SOs and the women don't want their parent/spouse/SO to know they're pregnant, so they lie. Other women really don't know any better and think that if they admit that they're pregnant, they won't get treatment.

And other women show up at the ER because they're trying to get narcotics for a fix, and no doctor will prescribe percocet to a pregnant woman, so in that situation, the woman lies in an attempt to get her fix.

I'm not trying to be snarky or jaded or Republican about this; I have a close friend who's an ER doctor at the university hospital in town, and he said it's just the sad truth about working in an ER in a time in this country when so many people don't have health insurance that they use the ER as their only source of healthcare, even for things like a cold.

I'm not trying to be snarky or jaded or Republican about this; I have a close friend who's an ER doctor at the university hospital in town, and he said it's just the sad truth about working in an ER in a time in this country when so many people don't have health insurance that they use the ER as their only source of healthcare, even for things like a cold.

This I do know. And I know why they have to do it and I understand, and usually just laugh it off. It's just weird on the other hand to be asked, yet so blatantly not trusted. I guess, in some ways, I wish that they just wouldn't ask...that they'd just say, "We have to run a pregnancy test." And this was the first time I'd had it happen since I got the IUD, so it was even a bit more striking, I guess.

maybe I got a pregnancy test when I was admitted to the hospital and I didn't know it.

the ER really does have to perform a pregnancy test every time

They may have to, but in this neck of the woods they thankfully don't. There were a couple of weeks here or there where they wanted one, but let's just call my kidneys efficient. Could easily tack a few hours onto the front end of each visit, waiting for me to pony up. It's been under 10% of the times they've tested me (and under 50% of the time they've asked about my last period) before what was always going to be narcotics.