That's true, but for me it's more just the idea of things slipping down and being revealed. They put you into a more upright position when they're looking to where to put the nipples for example and things could slip down there. There's a part of me that doesn't care and there's a part that just sees it as entirely unnecessary in this case. When it comes to actual procedures down there then yeah, I get that, but when the procedure is nowhere near that area, I just don't want that area being seen. There's just no reason for it. Could they pull underwear down and take a look? Yeah, but then that'd attract attention from the other staff. A lot of people would feel the same regardless of dysphoria. Remember that anyone taking testosterone has growth in that area and people can have an interest in seeing that, it makes us different and something of medical interest. For me - they can see that in someone else, I don't want to parade it.
It really is just the fact of whether that area needs to be bare at all. In the case of top surgery, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever for someone not to be allowed to wear cotton underwear. Just absolutely no reason. So in my mind the idea of asking someone not to wear anything there or making it some rule becomes a concern. Why can't I wear underwear? Are you going to be looking there? Why? There's been a lot of cases in the past of medical students performing exams on patients without their consent while under general anesthetic. Since those cases they've been a lot stricter on things like that but the possibility is there and the knowledge that it has occurred is out there. So it's a genuine concern for people and while I'm against scaring people into thinking it does take place (trust me, it's a lot stricter now and very rarely happens at least here in the western world) I still see it as being very, very wrong to tell people that surgeries of this sort require you to remove underwear and that it is some rule because it is a lie and as such I view it as unethical. We do have rights here and for some they couldn't care less, and all power to you, but for others having to remove underwear can be an added concern and worry for them. In some cases, you have to be without and that can't be helped, but the reality is that unless it is a very long operation or it's a surgery involving that area, it is a concern easily erased in just allowing that individual to wear their underwear. And in this case, if any surgeon demands you remove underwear, then it's, in my opinion, a red flag. Not necessarily because they're going to do something bad; more because they're not respecting your rights on something so trivial and unimportant to the actual surgery.
