OBSTACLES FACED BY MALE STUDENTS DURING OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY COURSE STUDY IN MEDICAL COLLEGE IN DIYALA UNIVERSITY, IRAQ

Sawsan Talib Salman*, Raakad Kamel Saadi, Rawaa Imad Majeed and Mahdi Ahmed Majdi

ABSTRACT

Background: Obstetrics is a field of medicine that deals with pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum periods while Gynecology deals with the health of the female reproductive system and the breast. in the past gynecology occupied by male doctors but this field preference has changed. As moments of fact no discrimination is available in this vocation and male medical students enjoy equal rights of clinical practice over patients. Patient and method: A cross sectional descriptive study was conduct from 1st of August 2022 to third of January 2023 at Diyala University/ College of Medicine and AL-Batool Maternity Teaching Hospital/ Diyala/ Baquba. Participants were 136 male medical students in the last stages 4th, 5th and 6th. Also including 121 participants were randomly selected from outpatient, inpatient clinic, emergency and labor wards at department of obstetrics and gynecology in AL-Batool Maternity Teaching Hospital Diyala Baquba provided they were admitted from obstetrics and gynecology related condition. Data were collected using structured questionnaire for all participants. Result: Regarding the relationship between (age, Culture and Educational level) of the patients with visiting male gynecologist found there was statistically non-significant relation between them .The most common cause that make women’s refuse going to male gynecologist was culture(customs and traditions) in incidence (71.60% ) and relation between them was statically significant (value <0.0001) The major reason that make women’s refuse medical examination by male students is gender and (40.50%) of students notice the gender has negatively effect on them and statically significant. Conclusion: Most common causes that make women’s choice female gynecologist and refuse male gynecologist is culture(customs and traditions) .The male gender has negatively effect of medical students where most common cause that makes women’s refuse examination is gender.

Keywords: Obstetrics and Gynecology; female; male; gender; medical students.