How Relevant is Obstetrician and Gynecologist Gender to Women in Saudi Arabia?

Ahmed Hussein Subki,1 Abdullah Khaled Agabawi,2 Muhab Mohammed Hindi,2 Nadeem Shafique Butt,3 Mohammed Saad Alsallum,4 Rawan Ali Alghamdi,2 Siham Hussein Subki,2 Fahad Alsallum,2 Abdulaziz Ahmed Alharbi,5 Yousif Ibrahim Lodhi,6 Sultan Alandijani,1 Faten Al-Zaben,7 Harold G Koenig,7,8 Ayman M Oraif2 1Department of Internal Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Biostatistics, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Neurology, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 5‏Department of Emergency Medicine, King Fahad General Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 6Department of Internal Medicine, East Jeddah Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 7Department of Psychiatry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 8Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USACorrespondence: Ayman M OraifDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaTel +966 53 806 2000Email ayman_oraif@yahoo.comBackground: The patient–doctor relationship is one of the most important factors in determining the outcome of healthcare. The first step in establishing this relationship is choosing a physician. This study sought to identify patient preferences concerning the gender of their obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN) physician and the effect of religion and society on these choices.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the OB-GYN outpatient clinics at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah between February 2017 and June 2017. A total of 227 female patients were recruited. Eligible were women ages 18 years or older who had attended the clinic at least three times. A 30-item questionnaire was administered.Results: Significantly, more female doctors were preferred for pelvic examination in lower income group (p=0.003), while male doctors were preferred for surgery (p=0.010) in higher income group. Significantly more male doctors were preferred for pelvic examination and gynecological surgery in > 35-year age group (p=0.015 and p=0.017, respectively). With regard to predictors, embarrassment was the most significant factor reported for not choosing a male obstetrician/gynecologist (OB-GYN) in the younger age group. Nearly three-quarters (71.2%) of respondents with age ≤ 35 reported embarrassment as a factor for not choosing a male OB-GYN; 79.7% of this subgroup indicated that female doctors were more knowledgeable about women’s health issues.Conclusion: Participants expressed a strong preference for female providers overall, although some women preferred male providers during certain circumstances (gynecologic surgery). Despite these gender preferences, more important to women in their choice of OB-GYN provider was the doctor’s experience, qualifications, and reputation. Such trends are consistent with those culturally similar countries and in line with trends worldwide. These findings have the potential to significantly impact the personal health for women in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Middle East where religious and cultural traditions are so important in decision-making.Keywords: gender, preference, obstetrics, gynecologist, patient care