Short Answer
Medical examination rooms in Germany rarely use curtains or dividers between the door and the changing area.
The clinical culture assumes a level of comfort with the human form that may conflict with the modesty standards of your home country.
What Most Expats Don't Realize
You went to your first gynecologist appointment and expected a curtained cubicle or a paper gown for privacy. The doctor stood by the chair while you undressed in the open room, causing you to feel so exposed that you rushed the consultation and forgot to ask about your medication. You lost the opportunity for a thorough medical discussion and had to book a second €120 appointment because the lack of a simple curtain triggered a total "freeze" response.
What To Do
- Bring a long, loose skirt or a tunic-style top to wear during the examination.
- Ask the doctor to step out for a moment if you require total privacy while undressing.
- "Kann ich einen Moment Privatsphäre haben?" (Can I have a moment of privacy?) — Say this before you begin to change.
The Truth
Germany’s medical culture views the body as a clinical subject. The absence of curtains is a standard design choice based on the assumption that shame has no place in a professional medical environment.