Embarrassed to go to the doctor?

Duration: 50 minutes.

Let’s take a look at today’s lesson

This lesson is designed for B1-C level students to explore the concept of embarrassment and how it affects our behavior and communication in professional and social settings.

Lesson Key: (U) = Understanding. (R) = Reading.

Defining Embarrassment.

Embarrassing (Adjective): Something that is embarrassing makes you feel ashamed, nervous, or uncomfortable. It often occurs when you feel self-conscious about your actions or appearance in front of others, or when you believe you have made a social mistake.

Warm-Up Questions.

Have you ever mistaken a stranger for someone you knew? How did you react?
What is your physical reaction to an uncomfortable situation
(e.g., blushing, avoiding eye contact)?
In a professional environment, why might someone avoid asking for help when they are confused?
Do you think it is more difficult to admit a mistake to a colleague or a friend?
How do you typically react when you see someone else in an awkward situation?
Can embarrassment lead to people avoiding important responsibilities or tasks?

6 Minute English | Are you embarrassed to go to the doctor?

Listen to the audio and read the text at the same time.

Transcript

Introduction:

What are the consequences of medical embarrassment? Beth and Neil discuss this issue and teach you some new vocabulary.

This week’s question

According to the UK’s Nursing Times newspaper, what percentage of people surveyed said they had delayed visiting their doctor out of embarrassment, and then later been diagnosed with a health condition? Was it:

a) 21% ?
b) 41% ? or,
c) 61% ?

Listen to the programme to hear the answer.

TRANSCRIPT

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Neil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.

Beth
And I’m Beth.

Neil
Lots of things can make us feel embarrassed – that self-conscious, uncomfortable feeling when your face blushes red and you wish you could just disappear.

Beth
Have you had any embarrassing moments, Neil?

Neil
Yes, many. Once I met my parents in a car park and I saw them arriving in their car and I waved my hands around in a very silly way. But unfortunately, I soon discovered that it wasn’t my parents. It was another couple.

Beth
Oh no, that’s really embarrassing. I remember answering the phone, I thought it was my best friend and I said “hello” in a very silly voice, and then they asked to speak to my dad, and it wasn’t my friend.

Neil
What was the voice?

Beth
Hello?

Neil
Oh dear. But embarrassment is more than just shyness and blushing. When it comes to our health, there’s no end of things to be embarrassed about.

Beth
Yes, and some people feel so embarrassed that they don’t go to see a doctor when they should, sometimes with serious consequences.

Neil
In this programme, we’ll be discussing the issue of medical embarrassment, and as usual, we’ll be learning some useful new words and phrases.

Beth
So, I have a question. Neil, according to the UK’s Nursing Times newspaper, what percentage of people surveyed said they had delayed visiting their doctor out of embarrassment, and then later been diagnosed with a health condition? Was it:

a) 21% ?
b) 41% ? or,
c) 61% ?

Neil
So I think it’s probably a lot. So c) 61%.

Beth
OK. We will find out if that’s correct at the end of the programme.

As humans we get embarrassed if we feel different from others, especially if the difference is physical. But how does feeling embarrassed about a medical condition impact our relationship with the doctor? Here’s Dr Vanessa Apea, consultant in sexual health at Barts Hospital in London, explaining more to BBC Radio 4 programme, Inside Health:

Dr Vanessa Apea
So they’ll delay accessing the clinic, and also seeking treatment, and so then you’ll often see people that could have been diagnosed with what’s happening much earlier, and could have had earlier intervention, but it’s delayed quite significantly. And so I then feel that we see a lot of people kind of suffering in silence really.

Neil
Many people delay going to the doctor – they postpone going or put it off until a later time. As a result, their problem isn’t diagnosed. To diagnose means to identify a disease or health problem through medical examination.

Beth
For some, feelings of embarrassment are so strong they prefer to suffer in silence – to struggle with pain without seeking help – rather than visit the doctor. But fortunately, there are things you can do to help. Writing your problem down, going with a friend, and visiting a doctor you trust are some ideas Dr Apea recommends.

Neil
There are ways that doctors can help as well, as Dr Vanessa Apea explains here to James Gallagher, presenter of BBC Radio 4 programme, Inside Health:

James Gallagher
Can you tell us what techniques you use to put people at ease?

Dr Vanessa Apea
I bring transparency to the conversation, and own it, and say that I’m going to be asking you some quite personal questions, and there may be also intimate examination… I want to assure you that this is confidential, that this is a safe, non-judgmental space… So really, I often name the words to create that space as well. Also in my manner, I would hope, and in my non-verbal cues.

Beth
James asks what doctors can do to put people at ease – to make them feel calm and relaxed – and Dr Apea describes her ideal conversation: it’s a safe space, it’s non-judgmental and what is said is confidential, kept private and not shared with anyone.

Neil
As well as discussing embarrassing problems sensitively, Dr Apea also uses non-verbal cues – the expression on her face, her hand movements, and the tone of her voice, rather than words, to communicate and relax the patient. Embarrassment is normal, and with support hopefully more of us will feel safe to visit the doctor despite it. OK, Beth, isn’t it time to reveal the answer to your question?

Beth
It is. I asked you: What percentage of people said they had delayed visiting the doctor because they were embarrassed, but then had later been diagnosed with a health condition? Do you remember what you said, Neil?

Neil
Yes, I think I said c) 61%.

Beth
I’m afraid that is not the correct answer! It was, in fact a) 21% or just over a fifth. OK, let’s recap the new vocabulary we’ve used, starting with delay, to postpone or put off until a later time.

Neil
To diagnose a disease or medical condition means to identify it by recognising the symptoms and examining the patient.

Beth
If you suffer in silence, you endure and struggle with painful feelings without asking someone for help.

Neil
The phrasal verb put someone at ease means to make someone feel calm and relaxed.

Beth
The adjective confidential means kept private and secret and describes information which is not shared with anyone else.

Neil
And finally, non-verbal cues are types of communication using facial expressions, hand gestures or tone of voice, rather than speech, to show your feelings. Once again, our six minutes are up, but why not built your vocabulary and listening skills even more with the quiz and worksheet related to this programme? They’re both available now on our website, bbclearningenglish.com. See you there!

Beth
Bye!

Vocabulary.

Here are 10 key words and phrases extracted from the transcript, adapted for general use:

Word / Expression	Definition	Example Sentence
Self-conscious	Feeling undue awareness of oneself, one’s appearance, or one’s actions.	He felt self-conscious about giving the presentation because he was the youngest person in the room.
Delay / Postpone	To put off an action or event until a later time.	The manager decided to delay the meeting until the whole team could attend.
Identify	To recognize or establish what something is.	We need to identify the cause of the project’s failure before we start the next phase.
Suffer in silence	To experience pain, difficulty, or a problem without telling anyone or asking for help.	If you don’t understand the software, don’t suffer in silence; ask the IT department for training.
Put someone at ease	To make someone feel calm, relaxed, and comfortable.	The interviewer’s friendly smile helped put the candidate at ease.
Transparency	In business, the practice of being open and honest.	The company’s transparency regarding its budget helped build trust with the employees.
Confidential	Intended to be kept secret or private.	All salary information is strictly confidential and should not be discussed with colleagues.
Non-verbal cues	Communication through facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice rather than words.	During negotiations, it is important to watch the client’s non-verbal cues to see if they are actually interested.
Significant	Sufficiently great or important to be worthy of attention.	The new marketing strategy led to a significant increase in website traffic.
Non-judgmental	Avoiding moral judgments or criticism; accepting.	A good mentor provides a non-judgmental environment where you can admit your weaknesses.

Business Insight: The Cost of Avoidance.

The transcript highlights a critical behavioral pattern: Embarrassment leads to delay. In a medical context, this affects health. In a business context, this affects the “health” of a project or company. When employees are embarrassed to admit they don’t understand a process or have made an error, they “suffer in silence.”

Why this matters:

Leadership: To prevent these delays, leaders must create a “safe space” using transparency and non-verbal cues to show that mistakes are part of the learning process.

Strategy vs. Execution: A strategy can be perfect, but if the execution team is too embarrassed to ask for clarification, the project will fail.

Efficiency: Identifying a problem early (early intervention) is always cheaper and faster than fixing a disaster that has been hidden for months.

Vocabulary Quiz.
Choose the Correct Word.

Choose the best word or expression to complete each sentence.

She felt very _________ when everyone looked at her during the meeting.
a) transparent
b) self-conscious
c) confidential
The CEO decided to _________ the announcement until more data was available.
a) identify
b) delay
c) suffer
Please don’t _________ if you’re struggling—reach out for help.
a) put at ease
b) suffer in silence
c) identify
The manager’s calm tone helped _________ the team before the presentation.
a) put at ease
b) delay
c) judge
Salary discussions are _________ and should remain private.
a) significant
b) transparent
c) confidential

Part 2 – Match the Definitions.

Match the word (A–E) with the correct definition (1–5).

A. Transparency
B. Non-verbal cues
C. Significant
D. Non-judgmental
E. Identify

____ Important enough to deserve attention
____ Open and honest, especially in business
____ Communication without words
____ Accepting, without criticism
____ To recognize or determine what something is

Answers

Part 1:

Part 2: E C A B D