To an extent, we did and they do still. But formally organised intimate exams (pv/pelvic; rectal; breast) are pretty much out. That said, naturally curious people with a knowledge of anatomy in an intimate relationship are going to explore …
The prospect of peer intimate physical exams has higher acceptability for ethnically anglo-celtic medical students, but (in Oz, NZ, UK at least) there is high representation in Medicine from other ethnic groups for whom even non-intimate peer physical exams are much less acceptable (Outram 2008).
