Everything you said is accurate, with one caveat: patients are often ignorant about the mechanics of pregnancy. Reproductive health education is shockingly insufficient among the population. “Could you be pregnant?” is not a useful question unless you’re sure that the patient understands how pregnancy works. Asking for the date of their last cycle is at the very least a data point that has some diagnostic value. “No, I can’t be pregnant because my boyfriend always pulls out” is a statement that contains a lot of information, but none of it has diagnostic value. You would still need to ask all the questions related to possible pregnancy.

That said, you’re right that the timing isn’t necessarily informative, either. And double down on asking these, or any, questions in private.