Editing Gynaecology (section)

==Gender of physicians==
Improved access to education and the professions in recent decades has seen women gynaecologists outnumber men in the once male-dominated medical field of gynaecology.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Groves |first1=Nancy |title=From Past to Present: The Changing Demographics of Women in Medicine |url=https://www.aao.org/young-ophthalmologists/yo-info/article/from-past-to-present-changing-demographics-of-wome |work=Ophthalmology Times |publisher=American Academy of Ophthalmology |date=February 2008 }}</ref> In some gynaecological sub-specialties, where an over-representation of males persists, income discrepancies appear to show male practitioners earning higher averages.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Women dominate ob/gyn field but make less money than male counterparts |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190401115815.htm |work=ScienceDaily |publisher=University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus |date=1 April 2019 }}</ref>

Speculations on the decreased numbers of male gynaecologist practitioners report a perceived lack of respect from within the medical profession, limited future employment opportunities and questions to the motivations and character of men who choose the medical field concerned with female sexual organs.<ref>{{cite web |last=More |first=Dr Ashwin |date=2013-12-04 |title=Why Are Men Gynaecologists? |url=https://akhandajyotihospital.com/why-are-men-gynecologists |access-date=2014-06-24 |website=Akhandajyoti Multispeciality Hospital, Nashik}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/witw/articles/2013/12/09/are-male-gynecologists-creepy.html|title=Are Male Gynecologists Creepy?|website=[[The Daily Beast]]|date=2013-12-09|access-date=2014-06-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140627050712/http://www.thedailybeast.com/witw/articles/2013/12/09/are-male-gynecologists-creepy.html|archive-date=2014-06-27|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gerber |first1=Susan E. |last2=Lo Sasso |first2=Anthony T. |title=The evolving gender gap in general obstetrics and gynecology |journal=American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology |date=November 2006 |volume=195 |issue=5 |pages=1427–1430 |doi=10.1016/j.ajog.2006.07.043 |pmid=17074550 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kornfield |first1=Meryl |title=New York OB/GYN Robert Hadden indicted on federal charges of sexual assault |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/09/09/robert-hadden-sexual-assault-indictment/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=9 September 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/news/a36311/kurt-froehlich-g-spot-gyno-barred/|title=Gynecologist Loses License After Having Sex With Patients Who Asked About G-Spots Dr. Kurt Froelich assaulted patients in his office and the hospital.|date=2015-02-10|access-date=2020-10-22|archive-date=2020-11-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112021129/https://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/news/a36311/kurt-froehlich-g-spot-gyno-barred/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Surveys of women's views on the issue of male doctors conducting intimate examinations show a large and consistent majority found it uncomfortable, were more likely to be embarrassed and less likely to talk openly or in detail about personal information, or discuss their sexual history with a man. The findings raised questions about the ability of male gynaecologists to offer quality care to patients.<ref>{{cite journal |title= Do patients talk differently to male and female physicians?: A meta-analytic review |date=2002-12-02 |doi=10.1016/S0738-3991(02)00174-X |pmid=12477606 |volume=48 |journal=Patient Education and Counseling |pages=217–224 |author=Hall Judith A, Roter Debra L|issue=3 }}</ref> This, when coupled with more women choosing female physicians<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Schnatz |first1=Peter F. |last2=Murphy |first2=Jessica L. |last3=O’Sullivan |first3=David M. |last4=Sorosky |first4=Joel I. |title=Patient choice: comparing criteria for selecting an obstetrician-gynecologist based on image, gender, and professional attributes |journal=American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology |date=November 2007 |volume=197 |issue=5 |pages=548.e1–548.e7 |doi=10.1016/j.ajog.2007.07.025 |pmid=17980206 }}</ref> has decreased the employment opportunities for men choosing to become gynaecologists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cvtips.com/career-choice/career-trends-for-obgyn-physician-jobs.html|title=Career Trends for OB/GYN Physician Jobs|access-date=2014-06-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217124053/http://www.cvtips.com/career-choice/career-trends-for-obgyn-physician-jobs.html|archive-date=2014-12-17|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the [[United States]], it has been reported that four in five students choosing a residency in gynaecology are now female.<ref>{{cite web
 |url        = https://www.apgo.org/2013/PP19.pdf
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141217130413/https://www.apgo.org/2013/PP19.pdf
 |url-status = dead
 |archive-date = 2014-12-17
 |title      = Enhancing the Representation of Women as Senior Leaders in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
 |access-date = 2014-06-24
}}</ref> In several places in [[Sweden]], to comply with discrimination laws, patients may not choose a doctor—regardless of specialty—based on factors such as ethnicity or gender and declining to see a doctor solely because of preference regarding e.g. the practitioner's skin color or gender may legally be viewed as refusing care.<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://www.salon.com/2007/01/29/sweden_6/
 |title=Discrimination against male gynaecologists? Swedish clinics ban women from choosing female doctors.
 |date=2007-01-29
 |access-date=2014-06-24
 |archive-date=2018-06-23
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623114807/https://www.salon.com/2007/01/29/sweden_6/
 |url-status=live
 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Trysell |first1=Katrin |date=11 April 2018 |title=Byta doktor ingen rättighet |trans-title=Switching Doctor Not a Right |language=sv |url=http://lakartidningen.se/Aktuellt/Nyheter/2018/04/Byta-doktor-ingen-rattighet/ |journal=Läkartidningen |access-date=25 April 2018 |archive-date=26 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180426174234/http://lakartidningen.se/Aktuellt/Nyheter/2018/04/Byta-doktor-ingen-rattighet/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In [[Turkey]], due to patient preference to be seen by another female, there are now few male gynaecologists working in the field.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pangeatoday.com/male-gynaecologist-in-turkey-dying-profession/ |title=Male Gynaecologist in Turkey: Dying profession? |date=2014-05-22 |access-date=2014-06-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304083220/http://www.pangeatoday.com/male-gynaecologist-in-turkey-dying-profession/ |archive-date=2016-03-04 }}</ref>

There have been a number of legal challenges in the US against healthcare providers who have started hiring based on the gender of physicians. Mircea Veleanu argued, in part, that his former employers discriminated against him by accommodating the wishes of female patients who had requested female doctors for intimate exams.<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/07/us/women-s-health-is-no-longer-a-man-s-world.html |title= Women's Health Is No Longer a Man's World |newspaper= The New York Times |date= 2001-02-07 |access-date= 2014-07-14 |last1= Lewin |first1= Tamar |archive-date= 2018-07-04 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180704093700/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/07/us/women-s-health-is-no-longer-a-man-s-world.html |url-status= live }}</ref> A male nurse complained about an advert for an all-female obstetrics and gynaecology practice in [[Columbia, Maryland]], claiming this was a form of sexual discrimination.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/health/bs-hs-women-doctors-20140202,0,3198562.story |title=Nurse questions all-female OB-GYN practice |date=2014-02-02 |access-date=2014-07-14 |archive-date=2014-04-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140404032042/http://www.baltimoresun.com/health/bs-hs-women-doctors-20140202,0,3198562.story |url-status=live |last1=Sun |first1=Baltimore }}</ref> In 2000, David Garfinkel, a New Jersey-based OB-GYN, sued his former employer<ref>{{Cite web |title=DAVID A. GARFINKEL, M.D. v. MORRISTOWN OBSTETRICS and GYNECOLOGY ASSOCIATES, P.A., et al. |url=https://law.justia.com/cases/new-jersey/appellate-division-published/2000/a3326-98-opn.html |access-date=2023-08-09 |website=Justia Law |language=en}}</ref> after being fired due to, as he claimed, "because I was male, I wasn't drawing as many patients as they'd expected".<ref name="nytimes.com"/>