eli5 Why is our medical history so secretive but we know most medical diagnoses of celebrities, politicians, athletes etc…
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the public figure release that information themselves since it’s kind of relevant (ie sports athlete has has torn acl, fans know they will be out for a while) and because they’re public figures the media posts about it for the entire usa to see.
If you wanted you can release your diagnosis as well but no one would care.
HIPPA protects all that information (medical history AND diagnosis), it’s a law and the main reason we know about medical diagnosis usually comes from the person in question themselves (celebrity, politician, athlete etc) have you ever noticed that? or their agents release it to the public/media or some inside source (it can literally be anyone including hospital staff, they can be paid off) medical history sometimes isn’t relevant to us only the hospital where the person got checked or doctor that dealt w them
edit: typo
Sometimes they would rather tell about it themselves than have some news outlet tell their information.
The one person who has full authority to release your medical information is you. If you tell someone you have a disease, you can’t sue them for knowing you have the disease. If you happen to give a press release about your illness, well, it’s public information.
Celebrities don’t always do it. For example, most people had no clue Chadwick Boseman was fighting disease. Bruce Willis just announced something he’s been fighting for years. I’m not sure many people knew Gilbert Gottfried had Muscular Dystrophy.
It’s just a subjective thing. Some people are very private about their personal life. Others like to announce everything. Sometimes it might be to try and control gossip about why they’re not in the public eye anymore. For some reason people think it’s creepy to take pictures of a cancer patient *unless* they’re a celebrity who hasn’t been public about why they canceled a role.
This is why I hate urgent care facilities in the US they ask you your medical issues while standing at the check-in window. Every person sitting in that waiting room has the hope that you are the guy coming in cause you have the gerbil in your ass. When you say you are here because your throat hurts, you can almost hear that waiting room mumble…damn!
You don’t know the medical history of most celebrities.
There are many stories where public figures had medical issues the public knew nothing about. David Bowie, Alan Rickman, and Chadwick Boseman all had cancer that nobody knew about until they died.
Most celebrities will have plenty of minor medical concerns we never hear about, because who wants to know?
When we do know, it’s because they or someone close to them chose to release that information.
Some celebrities/known figures choose to release their diagnoses to raise awareness as well. I’d call it the Lance Armstrong effect, because he’s the first person I can really remember doing it. Prior to everyone finding out about his cheating, he really brought focus to testicular cancer, and was an embodiment of being able to come out the other side stronger.
Now some celebrities want to do the same for their own struggles. Selma Blair and her MS, many celebrities and their mental health, Gabriel Iglesias and diabetes…people share to make others aware and to use their fame to get funding.
HIPAA protects everything, but there is an exception for athletes specifically when it affects the game. (This is especially important when there’s gambling!) But other stuff isn’t supposed to make it out (like when Michael Vick had herpes) and there are ethical issues when detailed information about things like failed medicals get leaked.
You can disclose your own medical stuff and anything else is typically voluntary.
Some celebrities reveal stuff by choice, maybe to bring attention to conditions they have as activists or for support–but it’s always their choice to do so. Sometimes politicians also give some medical info if there’s some compelling reason to do it, specifically if medical issue does (or doesn’t) interfere with the duties of their office–like when Joe Biden got his colonoscopy.
It’s not secretive. It’s just that medical professionals aren’t allowed to talk about it. But if you get diagnosed as having a third butt cheek you can tell anybody about it. Then they can tell anybody about it. Then the news might find out and make you and your third butt national headlines. Next thing you know you’re on Ellen as her flavor of the week. Next your demonized on Reddit because theres a TikTok of you farting on an elevator and not apologizing. With your the butts.
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