Eda YAKIT AK, Özden TANDOĞAN, Mehmet Ali ŞEN
International Journal of Health Services Research and Policy - 2025;10(3):212-226
This study aimed to address the factors affecting Turkish women's doctor preferences in gynecology and obstetrics examinations. This descriptive and cross -sectional survey study was completed with a total of 572 women aged 18 years and older. Data were collected using the Descriptive Information Form, the Body Intimacy in Gynecology and Obstetrics Scale (BIGOS), and the Spirituality Scale (SS). The proportion of women who had previously had a gynecology and obstetrics examination with a female doctor was 50.7%, and the proportion of women who would prefer a female doctor for future examinations was 53.0%. It was determined that those who had ever been examined by a female doctor and those who would prefer a female doctor scored higher on both the spirituality and privacy scales than those who preferred a male doctor (p<0.05). Among the women, 51.6% stated that they preferred a female physician because of comfort, 28.14% because of privacy, 25.0% because of embarrassment, and 18.0% because of their faith. Logistic regression revealed that not having a previous women's health examination, low scores on the SS, and high scores on the BIGOS were effective in preferring a male physician (p<0.05). The results showed that women who reported higher levels of comfort, privacy, and spirituality were more likely to prefer female doctors . It is important to consider women's cultural and spiritual values in the delivery of healthcare services, as these factors are statistically associated with preferences and perceptions observed in this study; however, no causal relationship can be inferred due to the study's correlational design.
