TOKYOMarch 29 (News On Japan) – As the new school year approaches, methods for conducting “school health checks” vary by municipality, raising questions about their appropriateness.
One woman, who had gone through school health screenings shirtless for 12 years from elementary school to high school, shared her experience. She said she was never given a clear explanation as to why undressing was necessary and she put up with the discomfort, believing it was all in the interest of checking for disease. Her school in Nagaokakyo City, Kyoto, still requires undressing of the upper body as a general rule.
According to Masashi Egawa, vice president of an association that promotes safer health screenings for children, many children are extremely reluctant to expose their naked bodies to others, even doctors. They advocate health checks that guarantee an accurate diagnosis while fully respecting privacy.
In school-based internal medicine exams, doctors not only check for chest sounds with a stethoscope, but also for conditions such as scoliosis and examine the skin. However, accuracy may be compromised if the research is done on clothing, leading to different practices among municipalities regarding undressing.
In January, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) sent a message to all municipalities, advising that exams should be conducted in clothing as long as this does not hinder the process, prioritizing privacy and emotions of students. .
Nevertheless, Nagaokakyo City emphasizes that undressing is essential for an accurate diagnosis. They do not consider allowing clothing examination as an option, and emphasize the need to avoid any surveillance for the detection of diseases to protect the health and lives of children.
Some parents express privacy concerns, especially in an age dominated by social media, and fear misuse or criminal use of images taken during health checks. Conversely, in Kyoto City, following reports from MEXT, a shift towards clothed examinations has begun, with measures in place to ensure that examinations do not require the chest to be exposed.
Some medical professionals claim that examinations can be performed effectively without making children feel uncomfortable because lung and heart sounds can be heard even with clothing and the skin can be sensed.
The discrepancy in practices between municipalities underlines the need to balance accurate health screenings with respecting the privacy and dignity of children.
