The underlying reason behind the opposition or disagreement toward male gynecologists has to do with the influence of both gender norms and roles in reproductive healthcare, or in the medical field in general. As someone who is interested in the medical field, I support the right of patients to choose their own physician, even in cases of emergency. Young women, like me, are at the age where frequent visits to a gynecologist are important. Therefore, having a physician you are comfortable with is important. Currently, 17% of gynecologists are male, and 13.6% urologists are female in the U.S., and this statistic is increasing as time progresses, according to the National Institutes of Health. When it comes to reproductive healthcare, or obstetrics and gynecology, there are countless women who prefer having a female physician. Recent medical studies have shown that there are societal expectations regarding the physician’s gender, which can correlate to the quality of care and safety. 

Women around the world, specifically in the U.S., may feel uncomfortable with male gynecologists due to personal beliefs, safety and wanting their physician to have shared experiences with the patient. Reproductive healthcare involves intimate physical examinations, leading some patients to prefer the same sex physician during procedures. Many female patients believe that a male doctor cannot fully understand or empathize with a woman’s specific physical experiences.

There are three common reasons why many find it difficult to have a reproductive physician of the opposite sex. Primarily, there is the fear of misconduct, in which there are concerns about sexual harassment, abuse of power or inappropriate behavior. In addition, cultural and religious preferences need to be accounted for. Certain religious beliefs prohibit women from being examined by a man who is not their husband or family. Prioritizing the care of patients and their safety is mutually significant in the long run. 

Healthcare facilities run under patient choice and autonomy. Patients have the moral right to choose a specific primary care physician or any specialist based on personal preferences, one being gender. Most medical facilities generally respect patient autonomy, but there is a current debate about whether providers should take requests from people based on bias rather than actual preferences or clinical comfort, according to the American Medical Association (AMA). This means that in some hospitals, patients cannot file a request to have a physician that they feel more comfortable with due to gender.. Most patients in the U.S. are accommodated in sensitive situations, such as history of abuse or sexual harassment. 

Society debates whether physicians should accommodate people based on bias or preferences. This leads to the core argument that male gynecologists or female urologists should be limited because many individuals are slowly losing the choice of choosing the genders of their physicians, unless the patient has had any past abuse. 

To some extent, the opposite sex can have jobs in the differing reproductive healthcare, as long as there is a heavy regard that patients can choose the gender of their physician to undergo any clinical procedure. It is necessary to understand patients’ requests and needs in order to be comfortable during a clinical exam. In the end many individuals will have their own preference when it comes to being assessed by medical professionals, and it is important to consider a patient’s background, and autonomy.