The preference of a female greek island population in regard to the gender of their gynecologist

Background. Doctor's gender is thought to play some role when women select their gynecologist. Purpose. The purpose of this research was to investigate the preference of Greek women in regard to the sex of their gynecologist as well as the factors associated with that preference. Material and method. The population of the study consisted of two hundred women from the broader area of the island of Chios. A self completed questionnaire which included demographic data, the usage of gynecological health care services as well as the choice of the obstetrician gynecologist was used. Descriptive statistics, x² and t-test, and a logistic regression model were applied. SPSS 13.0 v was used. Results. The average age of the 200 women of the sample was 43 ± 11.02 years. 45% of the participants didn't report any sex preference, whereas 25% of them reported that they preferred a man and 30% a woman gynecologist. Single women preferred a male gynecologist with statistically significant difference. The women conducting an annual Pap smear check preferred a man in their majority (28 out of 45 women), whereas the ratio changed in favor of the female gynecologist, when the test was conducted less regularly. When the logistic regression model was applied, the strongest correlations were as follows: Women who had visited a gynecologist before they reached 20 years of age were 1.2 times more likely to choose a woman gynecologist (Confidence Interval, CI 1.02 - 1.41) in comparison to the women who were 2 years older. Those who underwent a physical breast examination at rare occasions were 1.7 times more likely to choose a woman gynecologist (CI 1.1 - 2.63) in comparison with the rest of the sample. Conclusions. The women obstetricians - gynecologists are ahead in the women's preferences, whereas half of the women think that the sex factor is rather insignificant. The older age at the first visit and the sparse physical breast examination are positively correlated with choosing a woman gynecologist.