Society Japanese schools face backlash over topless medical checks

[thomas]

Recent revelations about topless medical exams in Japanese schools have sparked outrage among parents and advocates: school girls reported feeling embarrassed and distressed after being required to remove their tops during school health checkups. These incidents are just a few examples of the invasive and uncomfortable practices faced by children in Japanese schools. Many believe these exams are unnecessary and harmful, and they call on education and health authorities to put an end to them before the start of the new academic year.

As the issue attracts the attention of media and national politicians, campaigners say they face resistance from the Japan Medical Association and education officials who are reluctant to take on the influential body. "In some cases, doctors, who are almost always men, have threatened to stop performing the exams if they are forced to change the procedure," said a person familiar with the issue who asked not to be named. "They insist it is impossible to conduct a proper exam if children are fully clothed. And the children are in no position to refuse. The schools are really concerned about this and want something to be done." The Japan Medical Association has not responded to the Guardian's request for comment. "Girls of my daughter's age are embarrassed to talk about their bodies to their own parents," says Chiyoko Suda, whose 13-year-old daughter begged her not to confront the school after she underwent a health check semi-naked. "So you can imagine how awful it is for them to have to remove their clothes in front of strangers." Some regions began conducting more invasive health checkups during the years of postwar austerity, when schools took on a bigger role in ensuring that children were healthy and properly fed.

Surveys indicate that a majority of teachers support eliminating the mandatory topless medical exams in Japanese schools. Additionally, a poll conducted among middle school students aged 12 to 16 revealed that 95.5% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the requirement to remove their clothing during these examinations.

‘I couldn’t say no’: anger grows over topless medical exams in Japan schools

Parents and campaigners have called on education and health authorities to end the practice of requiring children to strip off for school health checks

www.theguardian.com

 

[Petaris]

I almost thought that this was an old thread that had been necro-posted on. How in the world is this stuff still happening?

 

[salyavin]

"Asked if there was any medical basis for insisting that children remove their clothing to undergo a "proper" examination, Iwata said: "Not that I know of."

"It might slightly improve the quality of the sound of the heartbeat, but I do not think this contributes to improving children's health."

"In some cases, doctors, who are almost always men, have threatened to stop performing the exams if they are forced to change the procedure..."

That article is just full of quotes that show how messed up this is.

 

[Karlington]

Recent revelations about topless medical exams in Japanese schools have sparked outrage among parents and advocates: school girls reported feeling embarrassed and distressed after being required to remove their tops during school health checkups. These incidents are just a few examples of the invasive and uncomfortable practices faced by children in Japanese schools. Many believe these exams are unnecessary and harmful, and they call on education and health authorities to put an end to them before the start of the new academic year.





Surveys indicate that a majority of teachers support eliminating the mandatory topless medical exams in Japanese schools. Additionally, a poll conducted among middle school students aged 12 to 16 revealed that 95.5% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the requirement to remove their clothing during these examinations.

‘I couldn’t say no’: anger grows over topless medical exams in Japan schools

Parents and campaigners have called on education and health authorities to end the practice of requiring children to strip off for school health checks

www.theguardian.com

Hmm:
"There is no unified policy on whether children should undress or remain clothed during the checkups, with local education boards left to decide in conjunction with visiting health professionals. Some schools require children to keep their bodies covered, while others insist that they remove their T-shirts and, among girls, bras. One western Japanese city senior high schools – whose oldest students are 18 – requires that pupils are topless during the checks."

That's really odd. If it works to be clothed at some schools, why not all?

The only reason I can think of why they'd have to remove everything is if it's something like a CT scan, ultrasound, etc., but I doubt they give those to all the schoolchildren.

 

[salyavin]

another reason is to examine the skin, I have gone to a skin doctor where they had me disrobe and examined all my skin. It would be very odd to do that in a school and most children don't need skin examinations it would only come up with some condition I would think. Women also need breast exams but that is usually 40s to 50 to start not like 13.

When I was a child in the US the doctor in a doctors office (not at the school!) felt my testes in the 70s I guess to be sure they dropped or normal size or something. It took less than a minute and felt routine it was not a huge deal for me at the time but that was not with everyone lined up at school which may have been more uncomfortable. My brother in law did have one of his testes not drop so I guess that comes up with children sometimes.

In a school I agree it should be more standardized and should have some kind of evidence behind it which their quotes in that article indicated it did not. If the child needed a developing breast exam I would think a doctor's office would be a better place, I just don't see it as a routine procedure.