Some women prefer female colonoscopist

[Guest guest]

I had mine done by a man with nurses present, not unlike the current OB/GYN

guidelines. I certainly understand that women want privacy and protection but

I think we have to be smart here and insist on supervision but do what it

takes to get checked. In the meantime hopefully more women will enter the field

and give us more choice

Narice

[Guest guest]

I had mine done by a man with nurses present, not unlike the current OB/GYN

guidelines. I certainly understand that women want privacy and protection but

I think we have to be smart here and insist on supervision but do what it

takes to get checked. In the meantime hopefully more women will enter the field

and give us more choice

Narice

[Guest guest]

Women's Preference for Female Colonoscopists Presents a Barrier to

Colon Cancer Screening

Key Points: Study of women patients finds that 43% preferred a

female

endoscopist to administer a lower endoscopy, which is a screening

test for

colon cancer. Of this group, 87% would be willing to wait 30 days

for a

female endoscopist, 14% would be willing to pay more to have the

procedure

done by a female physician, and 5% would not undergo a colonoscopy

unless

guaranteed a female endoscopist. Since colon cancer causes a higher

incidence

of death among women than breast cancer, this physician gender

preference

presents a barrier to saving lives through colon cancer screening

among women.

OAK BROOK, Ill., Aug. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Women may be avoiding

colon cancer

screening because of the gender of their doctors, even though colon

cancer

causes a higher percentage of deaths among women each year in the

United

States than those women diagnosed with breast cancer.

In a study conducted by researchers at the Division of

Gastroenterology,

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and published in the current

(August) issue

of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (GIE) by the American Society for

Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), 43% of the women who were asked

their

preference of a male or female endoscopist said female, while only

1.4% said

male and the rest had no preference.

When asked questions to further gauge how strongly those who

preferred a

woman physician felt, 87% of this group said they would be willing to

wait

30 days for a female endoscopist and 14% would be willing to pay more

(up to

$200) to have the procedure done by a female endoscopist. Five

percent stated

that they would not undergo a colonoscopy unless they were guaranteed

it was

performed by a female endoscopist.

The research results were collected through a self-administered

questionnaire given to 202 women who were awaiting primary care

appointments

at four outpatient facilities at the University of Michigan Health

System in

Ann Arbor. The female respondents were 40-70 years old, 85%

Caucasian,

70% married, 99% high school graduates, 49% held college or advanced

degrees,

57% were employed, 21% retired, and over half had a gross annual

household

income of greater than $60,000.

Having a female primary care physician (PCP) was a positive

independent

predictor for preferring a female endoscopist. Of the women who

preferred a

female endoscopist, 69% had a female PCP, 27% had a male PCP and 4%

did not

respond to the question.

According to Menees, MD, lead author of the study, the

research

shows that the primary reason listed for a female gender preference

was that

it would make the procedure less embarrassing (75%). Fifty percent

also felt

that the same gender was more empathetic, while 36% listed women

as " better

listeners " as a reason and 20% marked " technically better " as a

reason to

prefer a female physician to administer the colon cancer screening

test.

While this study corroborates earlier studies in other

specialties that

women prefer female physicians, this is the first study to

demonstrate female

endoscopist preference among women in the primary care setting, as

opposed to

female patients awaiting endoscopy procedures, said Dr. Grace Elta of

the

study team.

" This study has important implications for future prevention and

educational programs for colorectal cancer, " the research team stated

in the

report. " Programs targeting the female population should consider

concordant

gender preference for an endoscopist as a barrier to screening. A

choice in

gender of the endoscopist may help to increase adherence to

colonoscopy among

women. "

" The number of women enrolled in medical schools and residency

programs in

the U.S. has risen dramatically over the past several decades, with

women

making up more than 50% of enrolled medical students and 25% of

practicing

physicians, " the report says.

However, the current number of female physicians practicing

gastroenterology only represents approximately 8% of the total, based

on

membership in the ASGE. In addition, females only occupy 16% of the

GI

fellowship positions today, so it will present a dilemma for some

time to

those women who prefer having a female physician to conduct their

cancer

screening tests.

" Colon cancer has an equal incidence between men and women, "

stated Blair

, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine, The Mount Sinai Medical

Center, New

York, and an ASGE spokesperson. He explained that the total number

of new

colon cancer cases, according to the American Cancer Society's Annual

Report,

is 145,290, of which 73,470 (50%) are women. The total colon cancer

deaths

are 56,290, of which 27,750 (49%) are women. For breast cancer, new

cases in

women are 211,240 and annual deaths are 40,410 (19%).

" So while breast cancer is more than twice as prevalent, a higher

percentage of women die of colon cancer each year, " Dr.

stated. " That

is why colon cancer screening is so important for both men and women

over

50 years old. " Currently, only 43.4% of the population has had a

lower

gastrointestinal endoscopy within the last 10 years, according to The

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in

men and

women and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the

United

States and Western Europe. " Early detection of colon cancer and, more

importantly, the identification and removal of polyps that ultimately

could

become cancers can decrease the mortality for this disease, " stated

Dr. Elta.

In addition to Drs. Menees and Elta, other research team members

included

Inadomi, MD, Sheryl Korsnes, MA, and ph W.C. Leung, MD.

The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE),

founded in

1941, is the preeminent professional organization dedicated to

advancing the

practice of Endoscopy. ASGE, with more than 8,000 physician members

worldwide, promotes the highest standards for endoscopic training and

practice, fosters endoscopic research, recognizes distinguished

contributions

to Endoscopy, and is the foremost resource for endoscopic education.

About ASGE: http://www.asge.org

Patient Information: http://www.askasge.org 866-305-ASGE

SOURCE American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

Web Site: http://www.asge.org