Female.

Exactly my point of view. Even if a woman thinks I'm being dramatic or doesn't listen, it frightens me more to have a male doctor that (unless he's trans) doesn't have any personal frame of reference for what I'm experiencing and cannot personally empathize at all. I was also molested by a male gynecologist, and so were a surprising number of people close to me.

So, for me, the answer is "woman". Every time.

I am so sorry to hear about your experience with a male gynecologist, as well as the people close to you.

I don't really have a preference either. I have a female gyn right now, but she's really moralizing. When I asked her for a prescription for birth control pills, she lectured me about how I should choose someone special before writing me the prescription. I was really pissed off. She has no right to judge. I feel like a male gyn might be less judgmental, but I would feel a little awkward getting my private parts touched by a male that I'm not sleeping with.

I am sorry this happened to you!

Ok you are not nude, you get to wear a lovely paper towel gown.

Aw, thanks. I know this is going to sound awful, but I'm in an honest mood, so here goes. Sadly, it was never that big of a deal for me because I grew up hearing about how awful male gynecologists were. I wasn't surprised by my experience in the least. That's not to say that it didn't upset me and that it doesn't make regular gynecologist visits more stressful. However, when I recall the experience, I am inclined to shrug and think "It's awful, but that's sadly how that field works." I am not saying that's how it should work, but that's always been my understanding of how it does. I can't even count the number of inappropriate experiences women have shared with me from gynecologist encounters, long before I'd even been to one.

Ah, that beloved paper gown...

Or it has been a paper towel like blanket also. I have been pregnant 3times in the last 4years and spend way too much time in one of those gowns or blankets.

I much prefer men. I get along with men, I feel men listen better, and being a nurse, I prefer to work with male doctors. So many female doctors, in my experience, are constantly trying to prove themselves. They have to act as if they don't feel pain and don't have emotions (G*d forbid someone accuse them of "acting like women" even though they ARE women) and I feel they often don't give a shit about a patient's pain, discomfort etc. Most of them act as if they don't have a uterus and ovaries. I don't feel a female doctor "knows what I'm going through" because virtually every female OBGYN I've known claims not to EVER have had menstrual cramps, have head aches, PMS or anything else. They act like Superwomen and the worst... when they give parenting information. Most of them take a 15 minute "Maternity" leave. They're back at work with the cord hanging out. (And the baby dumped on someone else to raise.)

I've heard doctors talk and bitch about patients after they leave. The female doctors are MUCH worse when it comes to dissing patients. I'd drive an extra 20 miles to see a male doctor if I had to.

As for inappropriate touching, I could tell a really creepy story about a female Family Prac.... but I'm not going to.... Inappropriate behavior is never acceptable from health care professionals, but female doctors are not immune from doing it, too. (If I had been older and realized the weight of what she had done, I should have reported her. But, a 16 year old kid looking for birth control VS a very educated women with an MD. Who would be believed?)

I had my IUD inserted at the age of seventeen without parental consent as well. I understand that birth control laws vary by each state, so I hope he wasn't breaking any laws by doing so and I dear hope that her daughter hasn't developed any complications.

I've only been seen by females, so I can't say much from experience. I do feel as though I'd prefer female gynos to men.

I'm the opposite. I had a male gyno my first time and it went fine. No awkwardness really...except for the fact that he was young, and attractive

As far as we were aware, it was illegal for him to do so, although with the age of consent and all it's a gray area that I fully admit to not having researched fully. My sister did have complications from the IUD, and it took I think 6 or 8 months before it was removed. One of the more rare side effects (to the best of my knowledge) is just a general get sick and have lots of pain and cramping, and that's what she had and it took the doctor that long to figure out that maybe the IUD was the cause and that it should come out. It's been years at this point, and my sister has a new gyno.