# Why Do Women Go to Male Gynecologists?



## Children Of The Bad Revolution (Oct 8, 2013)

snail said:


> I don't discriminate against doctors based on their sex or gender. It seems strange to me that others might reject treatment from a doctor simply because he is a male. Is that a real thing?


I wouldn't want a male doctor examining me if I had any choice. Not down there, anyway.

Although, I had to be examined a lot this year; not my private regions but my upper regions. I had all female doctors/nurses doing that and the male doctor who I went to see said he wasn't going to do that because he 'didn't want to put me through it again'. He looked uncomfortable with the possibility of doing that, I think. Odd, I thought.


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## qaryoqa (May 31, 2013)

i usually choose to see a woman for physicals because i feel more comfortable. i don't want to be judged by the opposite sex or something. or i feel better subjecting a fellow female to the disgustingness of it all. it's like keeping it "in house" or something. i really hate physicals.


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## marked174 (Feb 24, 2010)

When I was in high school, my parents had a small disagreement over whether my doctor conducting my physical should be a man or not. My mom thought that it didn't really matter while my dad thought that it would be uncomfortable for my 15 year old self to turn and cough in front of a lady. "Wouldn't you be uncomfortable dealing with a female doctor?" my dad asked.

"Is this a trick question?" I responded. Honestly, I was more weirded out by a thought of a man going around down there. I thought to myself "Do you honestly want me to tell you that I don't want a lady to handle me? With a straight face? I'm 15!"


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## U-80 (Mar 12, 2010)

I've never understood why people go to gynecologists at all. Is there some necessity that I'm not aware of, or is it just something to talk about?


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## FallingSlowly (Jul 1, 2013)

Era said:


> I've never understood why people go to gynecologists at all. Is there some necessity that I'm not aware of, or is it just something to talk about?


Cancer screening?
Any other birth control than OTC stuff (depends a bit on the country though)?
Being unwell?

There's probably a million reasons, but especially cervical cancer is close to preventable if you get a pap smear regularly...


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## Uviteru (Jul 30, 2012)

To receive medical care. 

It is not usually in a persons best interest to arbitrarily reduce the number of qualified professionals who can provide them medical care.


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## Red Panda (Aug 18, 2010)

Era said:


> I've never understood why people go to gynecologists at all. Is there some necessity that I'm not aware of, or is it just something to talk about?


pap smear 
and generally to see if there is some sort of infection, especially from fungi or some abnormality.


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## Children Of The Bad Revolution (Oct 8, 2013)

Era said:


> I've never understood why people go to gynecologists at all. Is there some necessity that I'm not aware of, or is it just something to talk about?


In this day and age of casual sex and diseases, you can't be too careful...


Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using Tapatalk


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## U-80 (Mar 12, 2010)

isingthebodyelectric said:


> In this day and age of casual sex and diseases, you can't be too careful...


I'd rather be too careful than wind up in a gynecologist's office. Male or female. GROSS.


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## Fleetfoot (May 9, 2011)

I dunno. I couldn't care less. 

My OBGYN is a female, and she's also a lesbian. I still couldn't care less. People in that field have seen so much pootang I would assume that they don't really care either. Just doing their job.


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## Ixim (Jun 19, 2013)

Chloe: You have no idea what the counterpart to the gynecologist is I see. Contrary to the popular belief, it is not an urologist. An urologist is a Doctor specialising in pee-pee and all things related to it. Kidneys, vascular system and various such things relating to the excretion of urine. As for the other one, find out! I think it's one of the more obscure specialisations. 

As to the question: Because men tend to be more gentle and precise because of obvious reasons. If anything goes wrong, he can freely be accused of sexual harassment(look He's got a hand in your sweetspot). Therefore, they tend to take extra precaitions and overall come out as better doctors, ergo more patients. It should be so. Now in reality? Maybe they like to have a stranger's hand inside their intimate parts? Who knows those things. IDIC applies here perfectly.


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## Children Of The Bad Revolution (Oct 8, 2013)

Era said:


> I'd rather be too careful than wind up in a gynecologist's office. Male or female. GROSS.


How is it gross? A lot of women go to them for check ups or when they need HBC, not necessarily because there is anything 'wrong' with them...


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## The Proof (Aug 5, 2009)

isingthebodyelectric said:


> Why is it/can it be disgusting?


you probably haven't seen the kind of filthy women who go to the doctor, some of em are quite clean, others are... pfah jesus take a freakin shower


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## Children Of The Bad Revolution (Oct 8, 2013)

The Proof said:


> you probably haven't seen the kind of filthy women who go to the doctor, some of em are quite clean, others are... pfah jesus take a freakin shower


Same for men also.


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## nevermore (Oct 1, 2010)

isingthebodyelectric said:


> I wouldn't want a male doctor examining me if I had any choice. Not down there, anyway.
> 
> Although, I had to be examined a lot this year; not my private regions but my upper regions. I had all female doctors/nurses doing that and the male doctor who I went to see said he wasn't going to do that because he 'didn't want to put me through it again'. He looked uncomfortable with the possibility of doing that, I think. Odd, I thought.


Maybe he picked up that you were uncomfortable? That in and of itself might have done it.


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## DouglasMl (Nov 3, 2009)

The obvious reasons: Lack of choice (there were so few female medical doctors period back in the day),
satisfaction with one's current ob/gyn, and so on and so forth.


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## Impavida (Dec 29, 2011)

I've never been to a gyne in my life. Nurses and GPs can do all the birth control and health screening just fine. Gynecologists are more for serious plumbing problems and surgeries. Seems like a bit of overkill to go to one just for a regular check-up. Although it does certainly vary by country.

As to male vs female...meh. Whatever. As long as they know what they're doing, I don't care what they've got between their legs.


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## Entropic (Jun 15, 2012)

Why assume he was actually born with male organs?


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## LadyO.W.BernieBro (Sep 4, 2010)

DouglasMl said:


> The obvious reasons: Lack of choice (there were so few female medical doctors period back in the day),
> satisfaction with one's current ob/gyn, and so on and so forth.


When l first started getting screenings, l remember they'd specifically ask which you wanted. Around 10 years ago.

Then, for a brief period, they would just ask if you had a problem with seeing a male doctor, whereas now they don't ask and if you did have a problem, you'd inform someone. l can see people assuming you have no choice in this instance, but you always do.

l'm sure it varies by country, and historically, of course.

l'm not sure what it is that one is supposed to feel they have ''in common'' with another female here.

l tend to get...almost creeped out when other women assume we have tons in common because of our shared reproductive organ. l just don't..get it.


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## knittigan (Sep 2, 2011)

snail said:


> I don't discriminate against doctors based on their sex or gender. It seems strange to me that others might reject treatment from a doctor simply because he is a male. Is that a real thing?


I am very, very hesitant about seeing male doctors, although I wouldn't consider it discrimination because I would not refuse to be treated by a man. I don't think that it is due to outright discrimination in most cases.

I was sexually assaulted and I am extremely nervous about being alone with men who I do not already trust. Unless I had been able to have a few... non-medical? visits first with a male gynaecologist, I would not be comfortable seeing one. I have had a lot of terrible experiences with male doctors being patronising and dismissive towards me in a very gendered way and not taking my complaints seriously, so that has been off-putting for me as well -- however, I think that a lot of that is due to the kinds of personalities that go into medicine more than anything else because I have had a lot of disappointing experiences with female doctors as well, just minus the gendered overtones and extreme anxiety (I've recently stopped seeing a female doctor at my university clinic because I don't like her).

I would go see a male doctor who was recommended to me, and my male psychiatrist is one of the best doctors I've ever had. I think I'd be more comfortable with a male obstetrician since I could build a relationship with him than a once-off visit with a gynaecologist. It would be nice if it were easier to have a trial run with a doctor without having to waste your time or money. Sometimes it feels like throwing a dart in the dark.



ChloeCat said:


> Men have no intrinsic knowledge of the female reproductive organs. What is the motivation for a man to become a gynecologist?
> 
> And why do women go to male obstetricians? Men have no personal experience of menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, etc. to help guide them.


I'm not sure what constitutes 'intrinsic' knowledge of the female reproductive organs, since there are lots of women who will never experience menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, etc. Does that make them unfit to become gynaecologists? Should a doctor wait to experience pregnancy and childbirth before she becomes a gynaecologist? Trans men are men and yet have female reproductive organs -- why should their gender presentation prevent them from being gynaecologists?

As for motivation, there are an endless number of reasons. Some men get along better with women, some men are motivated by their mothers/grandmothers/aunts/sisters/friends/etc., I'm sure that there are some that are just straight up interested in the way that women's bodies work (I think that women's bodies are way more fascinating than men's. Pregnancy is seriously cool -- how is it that women are able to grow and dispose of new organs that belong to both themselves and their foetuses?). I'd rather see a male gynaecologist who knew his stuff rather than a female gynaecologist who made assumptions about the way that my body worked based on her own experiences.


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## Thalassa (Jun 10, 2010)

isingthebodyelectric said:


> Why is it/can it be disgusting?


Because you are examining bodies, sometimes sick bodies, and being a doctor in general takes a strong stomach, some fields more than others because of the level of concentration with orifices (being a dentist is assuredly also disgusting) and also surgeons and coroners.

Presumably you are a heterosexual woman and the idea that a woman's vagina could be disgusting offends you, but some times people have diseases or aren't clean. You are also near the anus. 

Try to be objective. I don't want to see every man's private parts even if I like penises on some men.


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## FearAndTrembling (Jun 5, 2013)

fourtines said:


> Because you are examining bodies, sometimes sick bodies, and being a doctor in general takes a strong stomach, some fields more than others because of the level of concentration with orifices (being a dentist is assuredly also disgusting) and also surgeons and coroners.
> 
> Presumably you are a heterosexual woman and the idea that a woman's vagina could be disgusting offends you, but some times people have diseases or aren't clean. You are also near the anus.
> 
> Try to be objective. I don't want to see every man's private parts even if I like penises on some men.


I was thinking of going into medicine in my younger days, and narrowed down the speciality by which grossed me out the least. OBGYN was totally out of the question, as was emergency medicine, as was pediatrics. I decided dermatology was the least gross of them all. But still too gross for me, so I went into research. I have seen people pass out in these classes, like when we had to watch a live birth. I could not be a med student. Too sensitive.


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## Thalassa (Jun 10, 2010)

FearAndTrembling said:


> I was thinking of going into medicine in my younger days, and narrowed down the speciality by which grossed me out the least. OBGYN was totally out of the question, as was emergency medicine, as was pediatrics. I decided dermatology was the least gross of them all. But still too gross for me, so I went into research. I have seen people pass out in these classes, like when we had to watch a live birth. I could not be a med student. Too sensitive.


I could only do dead bodies. I dissected a pig in high school, and I think dead bodies bother me least because I bear no guilt for taking their life into my hands.

It's all a pretty grisly business. Back in the day doctors were considered to be odd or macabre.


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## FearAndTrembling (Jun 5, 2013)

fourtines said:


> I could only do dead bodies. I dissected a pig in high school, and I think dead bodies bother me least because I bear no guilt for taking their life into my hands.
> 
> It's all a pretty grisly business. Back in the day doctors were considered to be odd or macabre.


Cats are actually the main specimen these days. Unless we have to do something with larger parts that aren't as well seen on a cat, like the eyes or heart. 

I just don't like....death or suffering. I got a buddy who just finished med school. He was in Iraq and has seen a lot of shit. I mean he has had to harvest organs from people who are still alive, that kind of stuff.. And he says he can get over the nasty sites and smells, but one thing he still hasn't gotten over is the vocalization of pain. Like I said I could never do pediatrics or ER, I could not handle a child begging for relief of pain, or anybody really. I've spent the night in a hospital before. It was madness. People singing. People screaming in pain. It is like a madhouse. I think the vocalization of pain is the worst. The hearing of suffering. People who are begging so badly just for you to fix them, I couldn't handle that..


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## Siggy (May 25, 2009)

Live birth eeww. I would trade dead bodies for that anytime.

But back on topic. I couldnt care if the physician was from Mars as long as he/she was competent,and has a decent bedside manner. And in my experience, I have found male physicians to have a better bed side manner, then women.


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## Thalassa (Jun 10, 2010)

I have never had a strong preference, in some cases I think I actually prefer a man, not for any logical reasons, maybe I actually feel safer with menz, I dk.

When I did my egg donation my ob/gyn was a man, when I had a cone biopsy it was with a woman, I have had paps from both genders, when I was pregnant and had a miscarriage my midwife was a woman and my ob/gyn a man.

Men I attribute warmth and gentleness, women cold professionalism. Almost like gynecologist takes on opposite gender energy or something.

However, if I ever came up against an ob/gyn who told me pms was all in my head or something, I would probably be more inclined to seek a female practitioner.


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## stiletto (Oct 26, 2013)

While we're on the topic...
Meet The Hottest Gynecologist Ever


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## FearAndTrembling (Jun 5, 2013)

The only place I prefer men is mental health counseling. 

It is harder to open up to attractive women. Reveal your insecurities and all that. Especially an attractive woman around my age. I know it is based on my own insecurities, but still..

I remember the last time I went to counseling, I was like, "please don't be a hot girl, please don't be a hot girl..." then his bombshell blonde walks out and calls my name. I was like "fuck"


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## Thalassa (Jun 10, 2010)

FearAndTrembling said:


> Cats are actually the main specimen these days. Unless we have to do something with larger parts that aren't as well seen on a cat, like the eyes or heart.
> 
> I just don't like....death or suffering. I got a buddy who just finished med school. He was in Iraq and has seen a lot of shit. I mean he has had to harvest organs from people who are still alive, that kind of stuff.. And he says he can get over the nasty sites and smells, but one thing he still hasn't gotten over is the vocalization of pain. Like I said I could never do pediatrics or ER, I could not handle a child begging for relief of pain, or anybody really. I've spent the night in a hospital before. It was madness. People singing. People screaming in pain. It is like a madhouse. I think the vocalization of pain is the worst. The hearing of suffering. People who are begging so badly just for you to fix them, I couldn't handle that..


I have considered doing veterinary assistance if I don't have great success with forestry. That being said, I still don't want to dissect a cat. Wtf is that about.

Private practice is different than hospital work, ofc. I have friends who are EMTs. Some people thrive on life or death situations, some feel heroic when saving the sick, I guess more logical people have compassion but don't feel so overwhelmed with empathy as to become paralyzed.

I would not want to harvest organs from living people, wtf is that, is it even legal.


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## FearAndTrembling (Jun 5, 2013)

fourtines said:


> I have considered doing veterinary assistance if I don't have great success with forestry. That being said, I still don't want to dissect a cat. Wtf is that about.
> 
> Private practice is different than hospital work, ofc. I have friends who are EMTs. Some people thrive on life or death situations, some feel heroic when saving the sick, I guess more logical people have compassion but don't feel so overwhelmed with empathy as to become paralyzed.
> 
> I would not want to harvest organs from living people, wtf is that, is it even legal.


Well yeah, it happens during organ donation. Aren't you an organ donor?

If you take an anatomy and physiology class in this country, the main object of study will probably be a cat. They somehow became the supreme animal. Probably because there are a lot of them..

My mom's best friend is a vet. I worked there for a while. Good job to get into. Seems up your alley. As does forestry. 

I could never bet an EMT. Imagine seeing a guy with his arm hanging on by a thread. That's why I wanted to get into a specialty where I didn't have to see that shit.


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## Thalassa (Jun 10, 2010)

FearAndTrembling said:


> Well yeah, it happens during organ donation. Aren't you an organ donor?
> 
> If you take an anatomy and physiology class in this country, the main object of study will probably be a cat. They somehow became the supreme animal. Probably because there are a lot of them..
> 
> ...


What the hell. Go back. What do you mean it happens to organ donors. After brain death, when, wtf are you talking about, are these people technically dead-alive?


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## FearAndTrembling (Jun 5, 2013)

fourtines said:


> What the hell. Go back. What do you mean it happens to organ donors. After brain death, when, wtf are you talking about, are these people technically dead-alive?


lol. I don't know the specifics. I've never been in on it. But these people have been totally written off as no chance of recovery. I remember him talking about sawing open somebody to harvest who was still alive. I had a buddy from high school die and they took some of his stuff when he was still alive. I know they took his corneas.


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## Zster (Mar 7, 2011)

Back on topic... I had to go with the docs available in my area that worked with my insurance. Sometimes a male, sometimes a female. I had good and bad of each gender.

Lesson learned: when I was pregnant with our first child, my husband _strongly_ preferred a female obstetrician, which we had. However, on delivery day, I found out that I was delivering in a _teaching_ hospital. Yep, nothing but young MALE medical students! I am not sure how my husband rolled with it. Busy as _I _​was, I didn't much care.


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## Noelle (Apr 25, 2012)

Era said:


> I've never understood why people go to gynecologists at all. Is there some necessity that I'm not aware of, or is it just something to talk about?



I had the same attitude. In fact, it was my husband that ended up begging me to go enough that I caved and went. On my first time going they found a tumor in my uterus the size of an ostrich egg. I got it removed surgically and am doing SO MUCH better, and am kind of sad I waited around so long to get checked out. It would have saved me a lot of passing out, fatigue, depression, being cold all the time (it was the cause of my severe anemia.) While I doubt mine is a normal story, its not a bad idea to get screening for problems. I was lucky that it wasn't cancerous.


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## DouglasMl (Nov 3, 2009)

Noelle said:


> I had the same attitude. In fact, it was my husband that ended up begging me to go enough that I caved and went. On my first time going they found a tumor in my uterus the size of an ostrich egg. I got it removed surgically and am doing SO MUCH better, and am kind of sad I waited around so long to get checked out. It would have saved me a lot of passing out, fatigue, depression, being cold all the time (it was the cause of my severe anemia.) While I doubt mine is a normal story, its not a bad idea to get screening for problems. I was lucky that it wasn't cancerous.


Phew, noelle, that call was too close.
And yet, it's medical problems like that tumour, peculiar to women because men
don't have wombs (uteruses? uteri?), that gynecologists specialize in.


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## dvnj22 (Apr 24, 2013)

Same reason I go to female drs. because they went to medical school and are on my insurance.


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## twoofthree (Aug 6, 2011)

Era said:


> I've never understood why people go to gynecologists at all. Is there some necessity that I'm not aware of, or is it just something to talk about?





jayde said:


> I've never been to a gyne in my life. Nurses and GPs can do all the birth control and health screening just fine. Gynecologists are more for serious plumbing problems and surgeries. Seems like a bit of overkill to go to one just for a regular check-up. Although it does certainly vary by country.
> 
> As to male vs female...meh. Whatever. As long as they know what they're doing, I don't care what they've got between their legs.


These are my thoughts too.

7-plus years of studying to so smear tests and tell people about birth control?!

A competent nurse can do both of those things. And a GP can check you out for the routine stuff.


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## Children Of The Bad Revolution (Oct 8, 2013)

Noelle said:


> I had the same attitude. In fact, it was my husband that ended up begging me to go enough that I caved and went. On my first time going they found a tumor in my uterus the size of an ostrich egg. I got it removed surgically and am doing SO MUCH better, and am kind of sad I waited around so long to get checked out. It would have saved me a lot of passing out, fatigue, depression, being cold all the time (it was the cause of my severe anemia.) While I doubt mine is a normal story, its not a bad idea to get screening for problems. I was lucky that it wasn't cancerous.


Sorry to hear about all of that. I'm glad you're okay now.

Smear tests aren't useless at all for this reason.


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## iloveusarita (Nov 9, 2013)

Noelle said:


> I had the same attitude. In fact, it was my husband that ended up begging me to go enough that I caved and went. On my first time going they found a tumor in my uterus the size of an ostrich egg. I got it removed surgically and am doing SO MUCH better, and am kind of sad I waited around so long to get checked out. It would have saved me a lot of passing out, fatigue, depression, being cold all the time (it was the cause of my severe anemia.) While I doubt mine is a normal story, its not a bad idea to get screening for problems. I was lucky that it wasn't cancerous.


So gynaecology is a false medical branch?

OK, so female genitals can't get diseased, or be misformed? Got it.. lol.. 

Or that vaginal cancer, polysistic ovaries, STI/STDs, ovarian cancer, nay pregnancy and complications in getting pregnant or giving birth don't exist?


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## BlueG (Jun 2, 2011)

I tend to prefer male doctors in general because of some bad experiences with female doctors. 



Era said:


> I'd rather be too careful than wind up in a gynecologist's office. Male or female. GROSS.


That's immature. And some diseases and disorders just happen and you can't prevent them. 



Ixim said:


> Chloe: You have no idea what the counterpart to the gynecologist is I see. Contrary to the popular belief, it is not an urologist. An urologist is a Doctor specialising in pee-pee and all things related to it. Kidneys, vascular system and various such things relating to the excretion of urine. As for the other one, find out! I think it's one of the more obscure specialisations.


It is a urologist. And a proctologist.


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