Starting the conversation
From a young age, many respondents were raised to avoid the topic of bowel issues. About 23% said their parents encouraged them not to mention bathroom-related health issues, and 10% said they didn’t talk about bowel issues at all. Another 32% said they could talk about it but had to use code words, such as “go to the bathroom” or “potty.”
“What this highlights is that patients are culturally taught not to talk about their digestive tract, or they’re embarrassed or uncertain,” Dr. Jain said. “At the end of the day, we need to destigmatize discussions about digestive function and normalize it as part of overall health.”
The survey respondents said they’d feel most comfortable talking about bowel issues with doctors (63%) and nurses (41%), as well as a significant other (44%), parent (32%), or friend (27%). Women were more likely than men to feel comfortable turning to a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant (47% versus 35%) or a friend (30% versus 24%).
To feel more comfortable with these conversations, 42% of survey participants said they would like their doctor or clinician to describe what’s normal. About 30% want to know the appropriate terms to describe their situation.
Health care providers should also consider the cultural and social factors that may affect a patient’s disease experience, as well as how they interact with the health care system, Shin said.
“Understanding these differences might help us to better engage with a community that is diverse,” she said. “In general, we also need to be more proactive about drawing these conversations out of patients, who may not mention it unless we ask because they find it so personal.”
The AGA Trust Your Gut campaign is supported by a sponsorship from Janssen. Dr. Jain and Dr. Shin reported to relevant disclosures.
Help your patients learn more by encouraging them to visit https://patient.gastro.org/trust-your-gut/.
