Case Study, Chapter 26, Assessing Male Genitalia and Rectum

A 27-year-old male client visits the health clinic because he has noticed small papules

around his penis. His wife is with him. Although the condition is painless, he wants to

find out what it is. The client claims to have no sexual activity other than with his wife.

The nurse notices that the client seems tense and uneasy when responding to the

interview questions. The nurse asks the wife to step outside the room while the physical

exam is being conducted. Once his wife has left the room, the client tells the nurse “I’m

not sure what this is or if it is related, but I also have a sore in my mouth that hurts

awful.” The nurse examines the sore and then asks the client, “Are there any other

symptoms you have been experiencing?” The client is silent for a moment and then tells

the nurse that he was not totally honest when he responded about not having sex with

anyone other than his wife. He tells the nurse that he has been having an affair with a

coworker and that he is afraid she might have given him herpes. The diagnosis of herpes

simplex virus type 2 has been confirmed.

(Learning Objectives: 2, 3)

Questions:

a. Because the nurse understands the sensitive and delicate nature of the interview
questions, what actions should the nurse take to complete an accurate nursing
history of this client?

b. Based on what the client has told the nurse, what information is crucial for the
nurse to convey to this client?