Is that a appropriate question fora doctor to ask?

[smile-hope]

The other day I was visiting my family doctor, he asked me wether I was ever in jail. I thought I heard him wrong, so I didn’t say anything.

Later I found the reason he asked that is that he received a request from my specialist doctor to check out if I have TB. And prison is the place where people can easily contract that disease.

I felt very uncomfortable after I found that. English is not my first language,so I am wondering wether I’m overreacting, or is that really an inappropriate question to ask.

[LisaSnow]

That is a weird question indeed, and I would answer by asking him "why do you ask"?

[littlelinda50]

That is a very inappropriate question.

[YorkyinNorfolk]

Why not just ask if you’ve ever had TB if that is what he/she wanted to know?Are prison health records held separately in your country possibly? But, again, why not just ask the question and explain why they want/need to know.

At best it’s clumsy, at worst it’s inappropriate.

[KathleenMA]

Completely inappropriate. I was automatically tested for TB to get on the transplant list.

[OperationKidney]

It isn't, it is a standard question regarding TB. There are other ways to contract TB but jail is one of the primary ones due to close quarters and very little ventilation/poor health care for inmates. Those of us with kidney disease are at a higher risk of contracting all kinds of viruses and infections including TB which need to be treated prior to transplant because otherwise such infections could cause issues with the transplanted kidney.

[Redbone55]

I agree with operation Kidney due to being in close quarters with other inmates (not saying that you were one) it is very very likely to catch infections and diseases so don’t be too offended by the question it was definitely a very important one. Sometimes people just don’t have people skills 😊

[LisaSnow]

I have never been asked that question in my entire life of being a "patient" in the USA. Testing for TB starts with a simple and inexpensive skin reaction test. I still do not see the value of that question when the test result is the key here.

[Ynnep]

I agree that the question was extremely inappropriate.