Female OB/GYN Preference and Male Physicians’ Decline in the Specialty: Global Patterns and Evidence

Recent research confirms that many patients prefer female obstetricians-gynecologists (OB/GYNs), and that male physicians often avoid or receive fewer opportunities in the field. Studies from diverse geographies: including Brazil, the United States, the Middle East, and South Asia, reveal consistent patterns in patient preference and the consequences for physician specialty choice.

Key Global Findings

Tobler and colleagues reviewed 23 studies including 14,736 patients from different countries. They found that about half of all patients (50.2%) said they would rather see a female OB/GYN. Only 8.3% said they preferred a male doctor, while 41.3% had no preference at all. ¹

Looking only at U.S. patients (9,861 people), the numbers were similar: 53.2% preferred a female OB/GYN, 8.4% preferred a male, and 38.5% had no preference. ¹

The review also showed that, although more people chose female doctors than male, the gap between “preferring a female” and “having no preference” was not always large enough to be considered statistically meaningful in some studies.

Additional Regional Evidence

• In Saudi Arabia, women attending OB/GYN clinics show a strong preference for female providers, especially for intimate examinations and maternity care. However, in some circumstances (e.g., certain surgeries) the gender preference lessens. Most patients place more importance on physician experience, qualifications, and reputation than gender alone.

• A study in Pakistan (Riaz et al. 2021) found that 85.4% of female outpatients preferred female OB/GYNs; women with less education and married women more often preferred female providers; those with higher education were more neutral. ³

In a similar ongoing discussion, medical students and professionals in India are actively discussing the gender preferences issue on forums like MedBound Hub. User Anchal Shukla, a second year Medical student initiated the conversation: Why a male MBBS student don’t want to take obs/gynae department in PG…is this department only for girls? even in my college many professors say that girls keep an eye on obsgynae class…this is your future…why???

Responding to the topic, Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada, MD FAAP,
"In last 22 years of my neonatal practice in the US, I have seen a good number of male OB/GYN and typically speaking they are no cultural taboos here, except once in a while when you have a pregnant woman from the Middle East requesting for a female obstetrician (but again, this too is rare in my own clinical experience)."

But many users responded that their professors and seniors always mentioned about the trend and encouraged females to opt for OBGYN.

As of a study in 2018, there were 43% male Ob compared to 57% female obstetricians. But this is changing. In next few years, ACOG indicates that 2/3 of all OBGYN will be females. The reason is preference of women patients for female doctors.

This and other comments in the thread reflect concern that male MBBS or postgraduate students interested in OB/GYN are discouraged by non-clinical but real pressures: fear of rejection by patients, perceived social judgment, cultural discomfort, and limited opportunities for patient contact in certain settings. These expressions echo published findings that cultural and societal norms play a substantial role in patient preference and in male physicians’ decision-making about specializing in OB/GYN.

Why Male Physicians May Opt Out or Experience Barriers

From the studies above and related literature, several recurring factors emerge:

1. Patient comfort and embarrassment with male providers
   Many patients prefer female OB/GYNs for intimate or invasive procedures (pelvic exams, childbirth) due to discomfort, modesty, or cultural norms. This consistently appears as a top reason in surveys.

2. Societal, cultural, and religious norms
   In more conservative settings, preference for female physicians is stronger, especially among women with less formal education. Cultural expectations around modesty and privacy contribute.

3. Perceptions of rapport, empathy, and communication
   Female OB/GYNs are frequently perceived as showing more empathy, being better at listening, making patients feel more comfortable sharing sensitive issues.

4. Impact on male trainees and doctors
   Because many patients prefer female providers, male doctors may receive fewer patient interactions in OB/GYN, especially in clinical exposure or for sensitive procedures, which can affect training, confidence, and specialty choice. The Wanderley et al. (2017) study discusses that medical students’ perceptions of patient preference, and experiences in training, influence whether male students decide to specialize in OB/GYN. ²

   References

   1. Tobler, Kyle J., John Wu, Ayatallah M. Khafagy, Bruce D. Pier, Saioa Torrealday, and Laura Londra. “Gender Preference of the Obstetrician-Gynecologist Provider: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Obstetrics & Gynecology 127, Supplement 1 (2016): 43S. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.AOG.0000483829.97196.8f. Lippincott Journals

   2. Wanderley, Miriam da Silva, and Dejano Tavares Sobral. “Ob-Gyn Gender Preferences of Gynecology Ambulatory Patients and Students’ Choice of the Specialty.” Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia 39, no. 12 (2017): 645-646. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0037-1606840. PMC

   3. Riaz, B., Nawabzada Z. F., Inam S. H., Yasir M. Rafiq, Saman Tanveer, Anum Arif, Mohammad Abdullah, Hamza Jamil, et al. “Physician Gender Preference Amongst Females Attending Obstetrics/Gynecology Clinics.” Cureus 13, no. 5 (2021): e15028. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.15028. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

   (Rh/Eth/TL)