Are there female urologists

According to the American Urological Association , there are higher percentages of practicing female urologists in the younger age groups i. Perhaps understandably, according to The Journal of Urology , while male surgeons perform more male-specific surgeries, female urologists currently perform a significantly higher percentage of surgeries for women.

Lori Jones, MD , a member of the medical staff at Partners In Urology , acknowledges that as a woman in a largely male-dominated field, both male and female patients tell her that they sometimes feel more comfortable discussing urologic issues with her.

She says this is one of the gratifying aspects of her practice. Below is a list of common conditions women encounter that can warrant treatment from a urologist, whether male or female. Overactive bladder OAB — frequent, urgent urination Incontinence — unintentional leaking of urine Urinary tract infection UTI — usually caused by bacteria multiplying in the urinary tract Pelvic pain — pain located between the belly button and the hips and due to a variety of causes Bladder infection — usually caused by bacteria multiplying in the bladder Interstitial cystitis — also known as painful bladder syndrome Bladder pain — pain or pressure in and around the bladder, pelvis or perineum the area between the anus and vulva Bladder cancer — malignant growths in the bladder Vaginal prolapse — pelvic structures that move, or bulge, out of their normal positions.

Partners In Urology treats both male and female conditions with the most advanced technologies available. Sarah Flury, a Northwestern Medicine urologist and senior author of a study in the Journal of Urology. Female certified urologists, who are a minority within the field, perform a significantly higher percentage of surgery on women relative to their male colleagues, according to the study. In particular, female urologists perform a higher proportion of gender-neutral procedures, meaning surgeries which are not specific to men or women, on female patients than male urologists do.

Fifty-four percent of patients were female for female urologists versus 32 percent of female patients for male urologists. For the study, investigators looked at six-month case logs of more than 6, certifying urologists from to , which included more than 1 million cases that were either gender-neutral cases i. These data represented more than two-thirds of all urologists in the U.

While there have been anecdotal reports of women preferring female urologists, this is believed to be the first study analyzing the influence of surgeon or patient gender on surgical practice patterns. The attending immediately shared her feelings about the way these calls were being handled. Her referral rate improved once this adjustment was made.

Once Dr. Kashefi moved into private practice, she made sure that her calls were handled in the same manner—meaning that they were handled identically to calls taken for her male counterparts. It avoids creating a gender bias issue that may not even exist and provides more of an opportunity to overcome one when it does.

In , NPR broached the topic with an article that revealed that people still think urology is the field of prostate exams and penis problems. And yet, the article notes, urinary incontinence is an area that mostly affects women. Kang starting at Scripps, there were very few female physicians treating women for incontinence and prolapse issues.

Having more women in the field has increased the conversations around the urological problems that are more prevalent among women. Women more frequently seek advice for sexual dysfunction, which can be caused by urological problems, and women have caught up to men in incidence of kidney stones.

It may be difficult for some women to talk about their urological concerns, which may include the following:. Consulting with an experienced female physician may make all the difference to a woman. As awareness of the issues and access to female physicians increases, the stereotypes and misconceptions related to women in the field of urology will diminish.

Eventually we may even be able to correlate improved female urological health with these changes. We will have the female mentors, both past and present, who have influenced these advancements—our real difference makers—to thank for the continuing betterment of how the medical field treats female urologists and, in turn, the impact they have on their patients.

Kang and Dr. Kashefi are independent physicians with no financial ties to Cook Medical. Miranda Weber is the Sales and Clinical manager for North America and Latin America, managing internal and external education programs.