Male doctors are disappearing from gynecology. Not everybody is thrilled about it

[Demovictory9]

Some patients wait until Dr. Jerome Chelliah snaps on his gloves to make the request. Others blurt it out as soon as he walks in the exam room.

“I’d rather see a female doctor,” they say.

Chelliah thinks he can be a sensitive obstetrician-gynecologist even though he’s a man. But he has no choice but to comply.

“I’ve been rejected many times over,” he said. “As a person of color, I face discrimination in other ways, but it’s not so blatant.… People have no problem saying they don’t want you.”

**

In 1970, 7% of gynecologists were women. Now 59% are.

**

These trends have influenced men too. Some feel socially excluded from OB-GYN departments in medical schools; they tend to be havens for women. Others say they don’t want to perpetuate a history of men telling women what to do with their bodies.

Tanmaya Sambare, 24, signed up for a class called “Mommies and Babies” in his first year at Stanford University medical school. But he started to think he wouldn’t be able to sufficiently empathize with pregnant patients, he said.

“No matter how hard I try I think it’s just capped ... because I don’t have a uterus. It’s not my fault, it’s not anyone’s fault,” he said.

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-me-male-gynos-20180307-htmlstory.html

[hlthe2b]

1. The good ones are paying the price for decades of condescending (or worse- misbehaving) male OB/GYNs

I doubt I know any woman who has not encountered one of these jackasses who refuse to listen to them, take them seriously, or answer their questions leading to misdiagnosis, delayed care and sometimes worse.. The old school attitude was one of paternalism. Grown women don't need a Father, but a competent medical advisor in that role.

Not to mention the utter failure of predominantly male physicians in that specialty doing ANYTHING to stand up for women against these lawmakers and their horrific misogynistic restrictive anti-choice laws.

I'd like to think most women would not exclude a male OB/GYN immediately, but I can certainly understand the reasons.

[PassingFair]

3. I deliberately choose a female obgyn for my second pregnancy.

The doctor I used for my first daughter was a complete disaster. He retired two weeks after my delivery. I won’t get into what a schmuk he was and the bullshit he put me through. My husband asked me why I needed a woman doctor for the second birth. I asked him if he’d take flying lessons from someone who’d never been up in a plane before...

[demmiblue]

4. I chose midwives (overseen by a doctor).

It was a wonderful choice. They were highly skilled, as well as nurturing and in tune with their patient (me!).

I also choose women dentists and veterinarians.

[nadine_mn]

29. I had the opposite experience nearly 20 yrs..the female obgyn was a jackass

I was having really heavy bleeding (I was 28) and my mom and her mom both had fibroids and had to have hysterectomies around their forties. Saw my regular GP (female) who referred me to a female gynecologist (per my adamant request) to have a D&C.

The gynecologist was so rude and condescending, told me because I was only 18 (umm what? I was 28) that my period hadn't regulated itself out yet, give it time. Refused to listen to me explain my family history...dismissed it as irrelevant.

I was shocked and in tears. Called my GP who was upset, re-scheduled the appointment to try again. Went back...this female gynecologist yelled at me, told me never to talk to my GP again and that she knew best, and told me to just take several doses of birth control pills at a time.

Ok big red flag when someone tells me not to talk to my trusted GP. Again, in tears, I called my doctor and she said the only referral she could give was to a male gynecologist and I agreed. I brought my husband with because I was terrified.

This doctor was so amazing - he was so kind, so understanding...he listened to me - didn't minimize my pain, my embarrassment (over having to leave work in bloody clothes etc), my family history was documented. I remember just how sincerely he looked at me and promised me that he would make sure he did everything he could to find out what was wrong and to help.

My exam, looking back now, was hilarious. Small room, me in the stirrups with real kitchen hot pads on them so they wouldn't be cold steel on my feet - my husband (newlywed) holding my hand by my head, the doctor and a female nurse all crowded around me. And I was more relaxed and comfortable than I had been with that crazy woman gyno.

Since I have moved to Minnesota I have had the same female doctor who is also an obgyn and she is amazing.

But I will never forgot how betrayed I felt by that female gyno and how safe the male one made me feel.

As a sexual assault survivor I 100% understand why so many women only want to see a female doctor...but every now and then ... male doctors really are amazingly understanding.

[Leith]

2. I've Had Male Gynocologists and They Were Professional

I have had no problem with them.

But I can understand that women would prefer a female doctor. So do I. It's a very personal exam. Men don't usually want a female urologist, either.

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. the attitude is different with women..it's a whole different level.

Problem in the town I live in, the 3 new women obyn here are also fresh out of medical school, we lost the one who was only a couple of decades behind me.
guess I will be meeting one of them in a few months for my annual.

[RobinA]

16. Ive Never Had

a problem with male gynecologists and in general prefer male doctors. I would hope that we can continue to have a choice.

[CTyankee]

5. I have been very pleased with care from my local Planned Parenthood for pap tests.

I actually worked for PP as a fundraiser and all during those years went to their clinic for any gyn care I needed. I found the clinicians there to be very caring and sensitive to women's needs. However, some of their docs performing abortions were men, but they were good.

An older male OB delivered my 3 children many years ago in NYC. My two daughters went to PP for their birth control meds as well...

[obamanut2012]

7. All of my doctors have always been female, as soon as I became an adult

Back in the day, women gynos were few and far between, and it would take a six-month wait to see one.

I personally always wonder why any woman would PREFER a male gyno.

[RobinA]

17. I Prefer Male Doctors

of any kind. It’s a matter of approach. Someone up thread said that she liked women doctors because they were more nurturing. I do not want a nurturing doctor, I want a man with a plan. Or a female with a plan, but I don’t find that most woman doctors that I have met are direct enough for me to feel comfortable with.

[smirkymonkey]

8. All my doctors are female, and I am very happy with them. I think I am lucky because I know

that people have very bad experiences with doctors of both genders, but being a woman, I just feel more comfortable with a female doctor and that is the bottom line. They are all very competent, respectful and compassionate.

I did have a male orthopedic trauma surgeon when I broke my proximal humerous and he was supposed to be one of the best at one of the best hospitals in the country. He did a good job, but he didn't have much of a bedside manner. He was quite cold and distant.

There are great doctors and not so great doctors of both genders, but I just happen to have had better experiences with female doctors.

[beaglelover]

9. I had to go see a colorectal surgeon last year for an 'issue'. My GP recommended a female doctor

but I wanted to see a male doctor due to the sensitive nature of my issue. I'm fine with a female doctor for everything except issues between the knees and belly button!

[csziggy]

10. Both male OB/GYNs I used were great - the one woman was not

She blew off my symptoms without even doing a pelvic exam - that was after waiting a total of nine hours over three appointments to get in to see her. She was not even polite about it and implied I was whining about severe pain and bleeding for a week every month. As a result I did not go back to a OB/GYN for twenty years.

The two male OB/GYNs were great. Both actually listened to me and did the medical procedures to solve my problems.

If I no longer need that specialty - all my lady parts are gone. But I might try a female again, just not any of the women in the practice that treated me so badly.

[Ms. Toad]

11. I ultimately rejected two male gynecologists and one internal medicine doc in favor of a female one

My internal medicine doc couldn't find my cervix. 'Nuf said.

The male gynecologists (and a host of other male doctors involved in the fiasco) refused to believe that my excessive bleeding was a real problem - I was exaggerating, because no one really loses that much blood. It just looks like a lot.

Meanwhile:
* They were testing me for leukemia and other blood cancers because (I was losing so much blood) they could find no evidence I was making red blood cells at all
* I was having heart palpitations caused by extended severe anemia
* I was wearing adult diapers to bed to avoid waking in a cold sweat multiple times a night, in a terror that I had destroyed the mattress
* I frequently had to turn around and return to the bathroom that was less than one minute from my office because I was already leaking

I finally figured out how to scientifically estimate my blood loss (4 cups over 5 days), a break of less than a week, then start the cycle over again. Then they took me seriously - and started ranting about yanking my uterus out as the only solution (and berated me when I wanted to explore options).

Ultimately,my new female gynecologist conducted an outpatient procedure that completely resolved my problem - and I would have been able to go back to work the next day, but for the 24 hour ban on driving. 20 years later, I'm post-menopausal with all of my body parts intact.

I have no problem with males doing the exam - but when they insist I can't believe my (lying) eyes - and then overreact by offering radical surgery that would put me immediately into menopause without even performing a simple office test to diagnose whether I might benefit from a simple outpatient surgery...time for a female doctor

[GulfCoast66]

12. My wife found a female general practitioner years ago

Who also did basic OB-GYN things. It was so lucky because she was young, out of college and starting a career 1000 miles away from home and needed someone to talk to about more than illness but the logistics and realities of sex that young girls from rural America were not taught in the 70’s.

This was prior to my wife and I meeting but when we met 31 years ago her doctor became my doctor.

The Doctor recently retired and I wept at our last appointment and my wife and the doctor bawled like kids. She had been seeing her for 32 years.

I am a liberal redneck and will have a female doctor till the day I die.

[treestar]

13. I have had female GPs for decades

During the earlier years, the only thing I needed was the annual pap smear. I figure no man can understand that. A female has to have her own done.

I remember going to a male one (taken by mom at 17) when I had terrible menstrual cramps - he put me on the pill, but also suggested that "having a boyfriend" would stop those cramps! So stupid - at least it was less onerous than my mother's cure - having a baby!

[Egnever]

14. My wifes OBGYN

was quite possibly one of the best doctors I have ever met.

Sadly he was hit by a car and ended up retiring early because of back pain. Two years latter he fell off a ladder and hit his head and died. True loss to the medical profession. The man diagnosed conditions in my wife long before her general practitioners that were later confirmed by specialists. He was an amazing man and my wife loved him.

[RobinA]

18. Probably My Favorite Doctor

of all time was a male Gyn. Everybody who went to him loved him. Unfortunately he relocated to Florida so we all had to look for someone else or move to Florida.

[tammywammy]

15. Ive had male and female gynecologist

No issues with either. I currently use my general practitioner for my annual well woman exams including breast exam and Pap smears. He’s male.

[Skittles]

19. I would never see a male gynecologist

they can study all they like but they can never truly understand

[Retrotech]

20. Agreed.

You can't possibly understand something you don't have ACTUAL personal experience with. It's nonsense.

[Skittles]

21. I wouldn't say that as a blanket statement

but certainly in this case I would

[Retrotech]

22. I don't see a difference.

I wouldn't trust someone to design a plane who couldn't fly one.

[Skittles]

24. and I wouldn't compare a machine to a woman

[Retrotech]

25. There's no difference in these two.

You either have intimate personal experience, or you don't.

[Skittles]

26. LOL

*DONE HERE*

[nadine_mn]

30. Please see my response up thread

I had a completely horrific experience with a female gynecologist who assumed she knew what I was going through and couldn't be as bad as I made it out to be.

The male gynecologist was amazing...actual listened and had empathy. Probably listened more BECAUSE he didn't have the parts so chose to listen to me rather than compare it to his own experiences.

[Solly Mack]

23. I've had both and how well I liked them depended on them - as people/doctors

- and not on their gender.

I've run across condescension from both male/female doctors during an OB-GYN visit.

Some men can be bad but so can women who think all women should experience being a woman as they do. I've had female OB-GYNs who thought all their patients should deal with the health issues of being a woman the same as they did. In the military, you change doctors a lot because of regular military moves - so you come across a lot of different attitudes...from men and women.

My favorite OB-GYN is female. Because she listened when I told her something. More importantly, she acted on what I told her. My favorite primary care doctor for the same reasons - and he's male.

Good doctors listen...really listen. They show respect for their patients. They aren't dismissive.

[question everything]

27. Two stories from the 80s. Perhaps things have changed

I met an OBGYN who was also a surgeon. She just came back from a conference where male physicians did not "understand" why any woman older than 30 would need birth control pills. By then she should just have her tubes tied.

And the surgeon added: I did not have my first child until I was 35, after I was done with all the residencies.

Second story: a young co-worker was getting pregnant every year. Catholics who did not believe in birth control. Until her mother told her that enough was enough. Each delivery was via caesarean section. Thus, she discussed with her OBGYN tying her tubes while undergoing the next delivery.

No, he refused. Women in her condition could not think straight so he was not going to follow her wish as expressed while pregnant.

[marlakay]

28. I have had women doctors for long time

I have found the male doctors don’t understand other than book training menopause especially since I had it early in my late 30’s.

You can read all you want to but unless you inow what a hot flash feels like, uncontrollable emotions, etc not the same.

And to be honest not many women want to talk to a guy about sex issues. Hard enough to talk to anyone about private stuff.

[Laffy Kat]

31. It's the same in ultrasonography and mammography.

I work in radiology an I've never seen a male mammography tech. OTOH, we do have a male ultrasound tech in one of our clinics where I work and he does frequently perform trans-vaginal US. Unless a patient specifically requests a woman, they may get him. When he does a TV US on a patient, one of us will stay in the room with him. He is so professional and good at what he does, I feel sorry for him. He doesn't take it personally when someone wants to reschedule as soon as they see him. He understands. It doesn't help that he looks a lot younger than he is. He's a married man with daughters. Nicest guy in the world.