I know I don't worry about synonyms at all or even adult euphamisms. I do go a little insane in my head when an adult woman giggles and points and tells me her "cookie" is sore, or when a student says that a patient's "little winkie" was all red, or even when a friend shares that her "nu-nu" is having problems. I find it immature, (in the case of professional staff) unprofessional, and rather ridiculous, and I do think it's rude to force someone else to say "Are you telling me your v@gina hurts or something else?"
If you are coming for medical help I think it's rude to make the staff play 20 questions. If you are medical, I think it's rude to the patient to refer to them in three-year-old vocabulary. If you are with friends- I don't know if it's rude or not, but I do think it's silly unless you are just joking and teasing and not actually trying to tell them something real.
I agree with this post, though I do think there is a place for some euphamisms, if you can even call them that-sometimes it really is hard to tell. I am having a hard time thinking of good examples for scrabble-related parts that won't freak out the filter, so I'll give the example of what we call a "room with a toilet". If you're excusing yourself from a group of people to go find such a place, you don't say that's where you are going. But you don't have to say "I'm going potty" either. Words like "restroom", "ladies' room", even "bathroom" when the room does not actually contain bathing facilities, those are euphamisms, technically, but they are in such common use that they do not call attention to the fact that is what they are.
Maybe that is where the line is for me. If a euphamism, for anything, doesn't call attention to itself (unless you are joking around, on purpose) is good to use if you aren't comfortable with the actual medical word, even in a medical setting. But words that are overly cutsey, and/or vauge, I do not think they are appropriate for use by adults. When I hear them, I tend to think one of two things, depending on tone, etc. Either someone is calling attention to themselves, asking us to notice what a delicate flower she is, she can't even get close to saying those awful words.
Or a grown adult really can't bring themselves to use any other word, even with a doctor. And I don't mean that necessarily in the sense of putting someone down. Does being in the medical setting scare the person so much that they are reverting to childhood terms, with the doctor as "parent"? Or is that person so unfortunate in terms of life experience, that even a reasonable euphamism is too much to say? Either way, I would feel sorry for that person.
As for medical professionals, I don't want any euphamisms. There has been discussion of the word "pee" and that's right on the borderline for me. I would really prefer my doctor not use that word but I wouldn't have the same emotional response as I would to more cutesy, childish terms.
And this is why. If a doctor shys away from saying a particular word, then I don't feel as comfortable discussing the problem that relates to whatever that word describes. If a doctor can't quite say the word, I get the feeling that they really aren't quite comfortable discussing whatever concepts go with it. And that's not a good feeling to have with your doctor, when you're trying to get over your own inhibitions discussing the parts or showing them to the doctor already, to get the feeling that the doctor would rather not discuss them either, or look at them.
Either that, or I get the feeling that the doctor is talking down to me, assuming I don't know what big words like "urination" mean. I don't feel like I am being treated like an adult, like a full partner in the treatment or management of whatever is wrong. It is off putting, either way.
But of course all this is just my experience, though I have seen a lot of doctors in my life.
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