It’s a hernia check, completely routine when I was growing up (eastern US), it caught me by surprise the first time but then it was no big deal. They did it every year. IDK about the medical aspects but it’s not like some doctor thought it up aimed at particular people. It was an institutional thing, all boys in the school district got it (don’t know about girls), same thing at other schools, and I saw the question come up on reddit decades later so it’s still being done. There was slight physical discomfort (they press up on your testicles and ask you to cough) but at least for me, pulling down your pants in front of a doctor wasn’t an issue. Having to shower in front of other kids (idk if that’s still done) was way more awkward.
Edit history
It’s a hernia check, completely routine when I was growing up (eastern US), it caught me by surprise the first time but then it was no big deal. They did it every year. IDK about the medical aspects but it’s not like some doctor thought it up aimed at particular people. It was an institutional thing, all boys in the school got it (don’t know about girls), same thing at other schools, and I saw the question come up on reddit decades later so it’s still being done. There was slight physical discomfort (they press up on your testicles and ask you to cough) but at least for me, pulling down your pants in front of a doctor wasn’t an issue. Having to shower in front of other kids (idk if that’s still done) was way more awkward.