Female vs. male OB-GYNs: Any preferences?

For me, the Mayo Clinic is unbeatable—especially Dr. Tihana Mazalin. She’s incredibly attentive and gentle, plus we always end up having such great conversations. Truly top-tier service.

driftingridge37 said:For me, the Mayo Clinic is hands down the best, and Dr. Tihana Mazalin is such an amazing gynecologist! She’s so bright, super attentive, and we always end up having the best little chats. Seriously, she’s awesome!

Well, Tihana Mazalin couldn't even handle my yeast infection, what a total joke! I barely even got out the door before I was done there, and of course, I still had to pay full price $133, so I wouldn't recommend her to anyone in the world 👎👎

I went in because I was dealing with double periods—like, two different flows in one month—and she just told me I was bleeding during ovulation and sent me right back home 👎👎

Meanwhile, this guy Dr. Gudelj didn't even bother checking my hormone levels and immediately put me on some testing to stop the bleeding

And get this, Mazalinka tried telling me about my yeast infection by lecturing me on how I wash my underwear, saying I need to boil them and actually wash myself properly!!
I mean, did she ever even hear of Canesten or vaginal suppositories? She must have been fast asleep during that part of the lecture! 👎👎

I’ve had experience with both types of specialists, and if you ask me, I am firmly in favor of seeing an OB-GYN.
My first pregnancy was managed by a general practitioner, and unfortunately, that ended prematurely at 23 weeks. I won't dwell on the details, but let's just say that experience left me making a mental vow never to go back to a female GP for prenatal care again. For years now, I have been seeing a specialist at a major hospital, and I couldn't be happier with the care. He managed my second pregnancy, and looking back, it became incredibly clear just how many oversights occurred during that first one.

Hm, gender equality? You aren't supposed to discriminate against anyone based on their sex🤣

I've been seeing the same old doctors for years now. The first one retired about three years ago, and this current guy will be heading off into retirement pretty soon too. Even if I get hit with those occasional nerves—you know, worrying they might be a bit clumsy because of age or shaky hands—I just grit my teeth and show up 😁
I really don't have the heart to see female doctors... I feel like they don't need to be looking at me down there, whereas with the guys, it's just... lol

My first doctor was a woman, and honestly, she was just awful in every possible way. It wasn't just one thing—it was everything from her constant habit of brushing off my concerns to the way she treated me like I was nothing more than a number on a conveyor belt. She’d just breeze through patients without saying a word, totally dismissive. One time, she actually made me cry; I walked out feeling like absolute garbage for absolutely no reason. Then came the final straw—I ended up bleeding right after the exam 😠
.
So, I switched things up and went to this other female practitioner. She’s lovely, really sweet, and actually takes the time to explain what she’s doing—she even lets me peek through the microscope sometimes. Though, if I’m being totally honest, there were a few moments where I felt a little slighted by her too, but maybe I'm just overthinking things
.
Right now, though, I’ve moved over to a male doctor, and I go to see him all the time. I’ve gotten so used to his approach that it’s been such a relief 😁😍 The guy is genuinely 🙏 🙏 🙏 I am just so incredibly grateful for everything he's done already, and I can only imagine how much better I'll feel once he finally gets me fully healed 👍🙏😍

Angela Morales said:Hmm, what about gender equality? You aren't supposed to discriminate against anyone based on their gender...🤣

I am in complete agreement here. Reaching conclusions like that is entirely unscientific and lacks any actual empirical basis.👍

Look, at the end of the day, it doesn't even matter which doctor you pick, as long as they actually know what they're doing, ☕

driftingridge37 said:For me, there’s no substitute for the Mayo Clinic and Dr. Tihana Mazalin. She’s gentle, incredibly attentive, and we always end up having a lovely little chat. Truly wonderful.

👍 Same here... I wouldn't dream of switching.

A male gynecologist, without a doubt. I have seen both men and women in that role, and 🙄 I simply prefer my own doctor

Honestly, I don't really care about the gender of my doctor at all. For me, it all comes down to whether they actually know their stuff and stay current with what they’re doing. Throughout my life, I’ve seen three female gynecologists and two male ones, and I’ve even dealt with those awkward situations where I’m being examined by an entire class of medical students at a teaching hospital.. 🙄🙄
I suppose I’m just not the shy type, so that whole male versus female dynamic isn't a dealbreaker for me. What I truly can't stand is when a doctor acts like they’re too busy to actually talk to me during an exam—you know, when they’re barely listening or just going through the motions like it's some mindless routine. It feels pretty dismissive when I'm lying there, vulnerable and totally in the dark about what's actually happening. Or worse, when they try to dodge sending you for necessary tests just to save on insurance paperwork, or when they miss a diagnosis that I, as a complete layman, can see coming from a mile away...

I haven't seen any posts from larazg yet. I'll keep an eye out! kaže:
I wouldn't say this is strictly about clinical expertise alone. It’s also about how one woman views another—especially if that gynecologist has been through childbirth herself and brings that personal perspective to the table. But beyond that, we have to look at what the textbooks actually teach and what the medical statistics tell us.

I was feeling the exact same way right before my first appointment. I really wanted to see a female doctor—that was the whole reason I was looking for one in the first place. The way women view one another.So, I ended up booking an appointment at the Harni clinic. I actually really wanted to see Dr. Harni specifically, but her schedule was completely slammed, so they asked if I’d be open to seeing someone else. Since I wasn't in any particular rush, I figured, why not? I went ahead and scheduled with Dr. Gudelj instead. At the time, I was still a virgin, and this was going to be my very first gynecological exam. I made sure to note everything clearly on the intake forms and mentioned it directly to the doctor as well. But even after I explained that, the technician insisted on performing a vaginal ultrasound. 😲 Even when I let out a little cry from the pain while she was trying to insert the tube, she just looked at me and said, "Come on, come on, it's smaller than any man's anatomy." 😲 🙄 And then she finally gave in and performed a rectal ultrasound on me. Honestly, I don't even want to get into how miserable I felt while the doctor was... well, you know. Woman. She used to say something exactly like that. 🙄

Mostly, after everything that happened, I decided to switch over to Harni. I’ve been seeing her ever since, and honestly, she is absolutely wonderful. She gets my highest recommendation! 👍 Honestly, if I ran into that woman in the hallway, I wouldn't even give her a nod. 😁

driftingridge37 said:For me, the Mayo Clinic is unbeatable, specifically Dr. Tihana Mazalin. She’s attentive, gentle, and we always end up having a great conversation. Truly top-tier.

I'm with you there. I can't recommend Mazalin enough, and honestly, the entire staff at the Mayo Clinic is phenomenal. They really are the best in the business—Dr. Eljuga is incredibly kind. Nothing but praise from my side.

Susan Clark10 said:That’s exactly what happened to me—I actually felt the same way before my very first appointment. I was specifically looking for a woman because I was banking on that certain female-to-female empathy... so, I booked an appointment at the Harni clinic. I really wanted to see Dr. Harni herself, but they were completely slammed, so they asked if I’d be okay seeing someone else. I told them fine—I wasn't in a rush—so I ended up with Dr. Gudelj. To give you some context, I was still a virgin back then, and this was my first-ever gynecological exam; I made sure to note everything clearly on the intake form and tell the doctor directly. But after I mentioned that, the woman insisted on doing a vaginal ultrasound 😲. When I let out this little whimper from the pain while she was trying to insert the probe, she just goes, "Oh, come on, it's smaller than any man's anatomy," 😲 🙄 and *that* was when she finally gave up and switched to a rectal ultrasound. Honestly, I don't even want to get into how miserable I felt while this doctor—and a woman at that!—was uttering such a ridiculous sentence 🙄

Anyway, after that disaster, I switched over to Harni, who I still see to this day—she is truly phenomenal, all praise 👍 to her, but as for that goat, I wouldn't even give her a nod if I ran into her in the hallway 😁

Ugh, it's the exact same story for me, except I was over at the Petrov clinic seeing a female doctor who intended to do the ultrasound just like you described. After she tried to examine me—honestly, acting as if I had already gone through multiple births—I practically bolted out of there. I switched providers and started seeing a male doctor at my local community health center, who was absolutely wonderful. Once he retired, I stayed with his successor, who took over after him and is even better... As for female doctors, I'm done with them, forget it... Okay, maybe for some, if you have heavy recommendations regarding their bedside manner, gentleness, or expertise—perhaps...

My gynecologist—the one I’ve been seeing since high school—just moved to private practice, and they’ve replaced her with a male doctor. What are everyone's experiences with male OB-GYNs? Usually, women look for a female doctor, and that was my plan too, but now that I'm stuck with a man... I am beyond uncomfortable. I know I'm not the first patient to deal with this, nor will I be the last... but still... it just feels awkward.

Hey everyone! Does anyone happen to know where Dr. Gudelj is practicing these days? I heard she isn't at the Harni clinic anymore.
I was honestly so happy with how she handled my pregnancy, so I’m really hoping to keep seeing her for my follow-up checkups.
Thanks a bunch! :-)

I’ll be honest, I used to have some major hang-ups about seeing a male gynecologist. I just assumed they wouldn't "get it," you know? Like, how could a guy actually understand what a woman is going through during an exam? I figured only another woman could provide that level of empathy and gentleness. But after cycling through two different female doctors who were basically ice queens—just cold and totally indifferent—I decided to take a chance and book an appointment with a man. To my absolute shock, he was incredible. He was so sensitive, gentle, and patient with me. He even cracked a few jokes and kept the conversation light, which completely relaxed me. Honestly, I didn't feel a single bit of discomfort.

Since this is my first time ever visiting a gynecologist, I want to get some advice before I start making appointments—what’s actually better? I've heard so many people claim that having a male doctor is better, but honestly, the idea of a man performing the exam makes me feel a little uneasy. I know those are just prejudices... please help me out, ladies. I’m clearly dealing with some issues, so I really need to get this exam over with as soon as possible.