Virtual Mentor. July 2008, Volume 10, Number 7.

Ethics Poll

Sex and Gender in Medical Care

The Ethics Poll is a snapshot of the opinions of interested readers.

During a strenuous game of volleyball you fall and twist your ankle. It is swollen and you cannot put any weight on it. When your friends take you to the ER, your preference is for a physician who is:
Male.
Female.
The one with most experience.
The one who can see you soonest.
No preference.

Because of training requirements and obligations to patients, staff scheduling of residents must be done with as much information as possible about planned future absences. For this reason, residency program directors ought to be allowed to ask applicants of both sexes about their plans for starting a family during residency training.
Agree.
Disagree.
Not sure.

The number of hospitals and centers devoted to the care of women is on the rise. Which of the following best describes your thoughts about this trend?
It is good. Women have unique needs that have long been neglected by medicine.
There should be centers for men's health and for women's health. Patients are more comfortable receiving all their care in one location from doctors who have expertise in their special needs.
It is unnecessary. Men's and women's anatomies are generally the same, and the ob/gyn specialty effectively addresses health issues that are specific to women.
Not sure.

View results
Poll results reflect the opinions of visitors to the site who voluntarily answer the poll questions. Those visitors do not represent a random sample of our readers. The viewpoints expressed on this site are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the AMA.