I would just like to let the parents know that some doctors have good bedside manners, and others have none!  The doctors should inform you what the exam is going to consist of, and if they don’t, please, please, ASK!  Talk to your children openly about the CAH and what is possibly going to happen at the doctors office because of it.  At 28 years old, I have had plenty of experience sitting in the cold room in just a gown, waiting for that uncomfortable time when the doctor comes in.  My mom was very supportive and very protective of me and my brother (who also has CAH) if she thought something was unacceptable.  If your child is old enough, let them make the decision whether or not they are comfortable with a room full of medical students when the doctor does the genital exam, and have them tell you before it is too late.  I believe that was probably the worst for me, is having about 10-12 people looking between my legs without my permission (on more than one occasion.) I was probably only about 7 or 8 years old when this began happening, but growing up with CAH and the knowledge that something was different with me "down there" made it even more uncomfortable when everyone is looking just to see what the genitalia of someone with CAH looks like. 

To Aimee, I am sorry that you feel the way you do and the experiences that you have had in the past.  I have become very comfortable with myself and my CAH, regardless of anything that has happened in the past.  I have recently gotten married, and am expecting my first child in January and am extremely excited!  I am just afraid that parents are going to pass on the examinations for their children because they are afraid that they are going to be traumatized.  Believe me, I remember the exams clearly, and they aren’t pleasant, but I just want the parents to know that it is for their childrens own well being.  The doctors are only checking to make sure that females are not showing more virilization than before, and that the males are on track for their hormones as well.