Physicians' Gender Influence on the Patients' Choice of Their Treating Obstetrician-Gynecologist in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia

Introduction Several studies have investigated the gender preference of obstetricians-gynecologists (OB-GYNs) around the globe. Obstetrics and gynecology deal with female patients exclusively, and gender selection in this special female domain bears significant cultural and religious aspects in childbirth and gynecological conditions. Methods This cross-sectional study has investigated women’s gender preferences of their OB-GYN in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia and assessed the factors that influenced their choice. A total of 390 female participants above 18 years of age answered a self-reported questionnaire distributed on different social media platforms from June 2021 to August 2021. Results A majority of the study participants have preferred female OB-GYN for pelvic examination, primary health screening, antenatal care, and major gynecological surgery (92.6%, 72.8%, 68.2%, and 61%, respectively). Almost one-third (31.3%) of the study females reported that they would allow the presence of a male obstetrician in the labor room. The highest three ranked factors affecting a patient's decision for choosing the gender of the OB-GYN were physician’s knowledge and experience, embarrassment with a male physician, and easiness to talk about women's issues with a female physician. Conclusion The vast majority of women in this study are inclined to choose female OB-GYN in general situations, for cesarean section, and in emergency situations.