Your age
As you begin to approach middle-age, start menopause, or feel those aches and pains of getting older, you might be tempted to tell a little white lie about exactly what decade is on your birth certificate. While it’s likely not a big deal to fudge the truth to a bartender, grocer, or random stranger at networking event, your doctor needs to know the honest truth about everything, including how many candles were on your last birthday cake. Not only is your age a crucial element to how they prescribe a treatment, but it’s information they’re going to find out, no matter what. And lying could break that essential doctor-patient trust. “I know patients don’t like admitting their age, but it’s very important to be truthful,” Dr. Shafer says. “If a patient tells me they are 49 but then their insurance card shows a birthday indicating they are 57, I have to wonder if the patient is lying about anything else.”
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