Does Gender-Concordance Matter When Discussing Sexual Health with Physicians?

Sexual health is an integral component of overall health and well-being. However, both physicians and patients admit to not broaching this topic with one another during regular visits. Prior research has uncovered various barriers to openly discussing sexual health during a medical encounter. Present study aims to understand if physician’s biological sex or gender matters when discussing sexual health with the patient. Using snowball sampling, 221 participants were recruited for the study. The participants completed an online survey with open-ended questions regarding their preferences of their primary care physician’s sex/gender when discussing sexual health and the reasons for these preferences. The responses were then coded and thematically organized. The majority of participants noted that they prefer same-gender physician. Five different themes emerged for reasons to want a same-gender physician: comfort, similarity, emotional support, non-judgmental demeanor, and identification of health concerns. While only a handful of respondents reported wanting cross-gender physicians, professional behavior was a theme best suited for those responses. Findings suggest that most individuals prefer same-gender physician while discussing sexual health and cited feeling comfortable as the main reason for this choice. By having a physician that meets a patient’s preference, it might enable patients to openly start sexual health discussions.