Male adolescents and physician sex preference
Van Ness, C.J.; Lynch, D.A.
Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 154(1): 49-53
2000
ISSN/ISBN: 1072-4710 PMID: 10632250 Document Number: 556835
Objective: To investigate the physician sex preference of male adolescents and to explore the factors that may moderate this preference. Design: Anonymous survey. Setting: An adolescent clinic associated with a large pediatric hospital centrally located within a metropolitan Midwestern city. Participants: The 67 male adolescent patients in the convenience sample ranged in age from 10 to 18 years, and 43.3% were African American, 40.3% were white, and 16.4% were classified as "other." More than half of the subjects reported being raised by a single mother with just enough money to meet their basic needs. Intervention: None. Main Outcome Measures: Among the variables investigated were expressed physician sex preference and participant connectedness to a male and/or female parent or role model. Results: More subjects reported a preference for a female physician (50.8%) than for a male physician (39.4%) when the examination was a physical or medical checkup. The preference for a female physician during a genital examination was also higher (49.2%) than preference for a male physician (39.1%). Analysis of variance revealed significant ethnic group differences in physician sex preference (F2,64 = 12.02, P<001). African American males had a significantly higher preference for a female physician than did whites or those who identified themselves as other. Neither socioeconomic status nor age demonstrated a statistically significant effect. Conclusions: This preliminary investigation has provided evidence that ethnicity of the adolescent and the sex of the examining physician may contribute significantly to the success of the health care interaction.