Do you prefer male or female physicians, why?

38 comments

1. I prefer to see a female gynecologist, I feel more comfortable naked in the presence of a woman, and it’s so much easier to explain symptoms to someone who has likely had them before.

   For all other kinds of doctors, I really don’t have a preference.

2. Consistency is my first priority. Elther sex so long as I can get the same doctor for a long period of time. Nothing worse that having to explain your history every time you see your doctor.

3. Female always

   I’ve been in therapy for years but I was the victim of SA and I still have nightmares sometimes

   I feel safer around other women

4. Doesn’t matter to me.I just want competent care providers.

5. For general health checkups, no preference. For issues that require a little more privacy I normally prefer female, but I’ve had male physicans for that kind of thing before and it’s been no issue.

6. Depends on the need. I’m fine with my regular dr being a guy so long as my obgyn is female.

7. Female physicians 100%

8. [removed]

9. For general health, female physicians. I’ve just always had female GPs and I find it easier to talk about depression, weight, stress, personal stuff like that.

   For gynecologists and other specialists, I don’t have a preference. My female gynecologist treated me terribly after I was sexually assaulted so I don’t think women are always better with bedside manner.

10. Female. Especially female surgeons have a higher success rate.

11. I prefer female, but my current pcp is male and hes really nice and kind.

    For a gyno though, the dr needs to be a female

12. Woman because men tend to make me more anxious and they also are, in my experience, more judgemental.

    I don’t like the words male/female for humans and prefer woman/man.. saying female/male makes me feel like you’re talking about animals 😭 it just feels a bit dehumanizing

13. I don’t have a preference.

14. Don’t mind either. There’s a female nurse in there whenever I do my annual check up and the doctor is male or female. For me it’s awkward for everyone in the room especially doing that “pelvic press down” check. Just tryna get in n out and make sure I’m healthy

15. I feel much more comfortable with women doctors. Haven’t had any bad experiences with men doctors, but all my doctors are women and are super smart, friendly, and make me feel comfortable.

16. Female, hands down. They listen better, have less of a tendency to be dismissive of my aches and pains, can relate to issues of childcare and the general female experience and also don’t make out of pocket remarks on my body or attributes. I am not very sensitive to such things, but some doctors…  Even the most hardass female doctors are easier to talk to than male doctors for me, male doctors IMHE often have a tendency to go “Yeah, yeah” over objections and then do what they planned anyway. One didn’t listen when I told him I have a preexisting condition and prescribed me a medicine that’s not allowed for people like me. I asked the female apothecary and she told me immediately. So I went back to the doctor and he was like, pikachu face, you should have told me.

17. I’ve had good and bad experiences with both. Personally I don’t care what gender they are as long as they actually do their jobs. And take my concerns seriously instead of telling me to just google my symptoms

18. Mainly, I prefer kind, professional, and competent medical professionals of any gender, but I do prefer female medical professionals if I have the option in part due to the research showing more favorable health outcomes for patients with female physicians.

19. Male due to irrational fears from bad experiences 

20. Never had a preference but I’ve found I like my male doctors and stick with them longer than any female doctors I’ve had. I’ve been seeing a male GYN and male endocrinologist for 3+ years each and they are some of the best doctors I’ve ever seen.

21. It doesn’t usually make a difference to me, but my OBGYN is a woman. My mother tried to make me seem like some sort of pervert for insisting on a woman. I think it’s way weirder that her OB is a man who also happens to be the son of my grandmother’s OB. To each their own, but I’m not down for that particular intergenerational train. Although now, just for fun, I kind of want to see if my mother’s OB’s son followed the family career path.

22. My GP has been a woman for the past 20-24 years. She is retiring next year, so I need to find a new doctor, mostly because I don’t plan on sticking around at the medical centre she moved to because 98% of the doctors aren’t that competent and the 2% that are, are INSANELY busy. That and they require that you check-in with an app, which is all fine and dandy until the app updates and demands that because you are entitled to something, you need to fill in the details…even though you don’t have it.

    So the long and the short of it is, GP I kinda prefer to be a woman because I see that doctor more than any other doctor, but I can honestly say that I have not had a female specialist doctor, and aside from one male specialist (who took over the practice of an amazing doctor who took the time to actually LISTEN to his patients) who left a very sour taste in my mouth to the point where I told my GP, “I don’t care what you have to say or what you think, I am NEVER going back to that doctor”, I haven’t had any negative experiences with the male specialists.

23. Depends on why I’m seeing them.

24. Generally female. Though I will say, my Gyn surgeon for my tubal ligation surgery earlier this year was a male, and he was refreshingly matter of fact about it. Didn’t even really question my request for the procedure beyond what he was legally required to, and made it clear he was only asking because he was required to.

25. If it’s a more intimate issue or I need an examination that requires me to strip, I’m prefer female physicians, or at the very least have a female chaperone.

    However more generic issues such as overseeing my long term condition then I’m happy whoever. If I feel like I’m not taken seriously I just push or rebook with someone else.

26. Female all the way personally

27. General practice, no preference. Gyna I prefer females for comfort. I do prefer male pediatricians though, they seem generally more caring. 🤷‍♀️

28. Preferably a Female for the private parts because that’s something we have in common. But my gynecologist is a man right now, he was referred to by a friend and he kind of just stuck, and I don’t really want to try find another one. As for anything else, I just want someone who actually listens and knows wtf they’re doing… 

29. I prefer to see female doctor’s especially for things like OB/GYN. But I do have a male ENT doctor who is really great. I have had bad experiences with male and female doctors unfortunately.

30. I don’t have a preference, regardless of the type of doctor

31. I don’t have a preference based on gender lines. In my experience it’s completely unrelated to the ability to do the job competently.

32. Female for OBGYN/dermatology.

    I have SA in my past and while I’ve seen male OBGYN before, I’d still prefer a female provider.

33. I mean it’s probably not accurate but out of the 8 or so doctors I’ve seen in my adult life as my GP, 2 were men and 6 were women. The two men were the best doctors I’ve ever been to, kind, warm and caring. Never an issue to extend appt to talk about whatever needs to be addressed. Won’t make you make another appt to ask some additional questions or address additional issues (as long as it’s within reason). They gave genuine advice that always turned out to be beneficial and thoughtful.

    The 6 women were the most cold, clearly jaded individuals ever. Always seemed to be pissed or depressed, couldn’t get me out of their fast enough, half of the solutions they gave me for health issues never worked. Would never let me ask additional questions or ask about a separate issue during an appt and would make me make a separate appt, for just a simple additional question. I avoided going to doctors for so long simply because it felt awful interacting with these doctors and I honestly didn’t think they would be able to do anything for me due to the fact that none of their other diagnoses worked previously.

    Just found the 2nd male doctor a few days ago actually, he’s amazing and was just like my first male doctor. Didn’t think I’d ever find anything like that again and it feels amazing.

34. I prefer female for OBGYN and psychiatry. No preference for everything else.

35. I have a male gynecologist, a female gp, and a female dentist. My male ophthalmologist just retired, so need to get a new one; don’t know if I’ll go male or female, I don’t care tbh, as long as they’re a good/caring doctor.

36. Female. Because then my symptoms are less likely to be dismissed or associated to “women’s problems”

37. Female physicians. I trust them more and the ones I’ve had actually listen to me and answer my questions.

38. Female. There’s some evidence patients seeing female physicians have better health outcomes, and I generally assume, based on experience, that a female physician is going to be more skilled in empathy and active listening.