Comparing women's views on family and sexual problems in family and gynecological practices

This study compares the role of community gynecologists and family physicia ns, seen from the patients' perspective. A sample of 126 female patients in family practices and 212 patients in gynecological practices were surveyed about their preferences and expectations of whether their doctor should ad dress personal, family and sexual problems. The effects of covariates (such as the type of doctor, patient age, family status, child desire) on patien t expectations were simultaneously assessed by multiple logistic regression . Between 40% and 70% of the patients contacted confirmed the family-orient ed approach, both in family practices and gynecological practices. Family p ractice patients more frequently stressed their doctor's knowledge of perso nal and family aspects (odds ratio [OR]=1.7, 95% confidence interval [95% C I]=1.1-2.7); whereas communication about sexual problems and a possible des ire to have a child was more often considered as the gynecologist's domain (OR = 2.8 [95% CI = 1.8-4.4] and OR = 1.8 [95% CI=1.1-2.8] respectively). F emale patients older than 30 years were more often interested in communicat ion an family related affairs (OR=2.2, 95% CI=1,4-3.4). These data illustra te that many patients would like both their community gynecologist and thei r family physician to take notice of their personal and family life conditi ons, including sexual problems and to initiate communication about these su bjects.