[Physician-patient relations in gynecology: expectations and experiences of patients]

A survey of the studies (1979-1993) investigating patients' experiences and expectations concerning the pelvic examination will give some information on physician-patient relations in gynaecology. The pelvic examination evokes in many women negative feelings like fear of finding some illness, fear of pain, embarrassment or shame. Quite importantly, women expected physicians to be willing to engage in discussion. Patients prefer female rather than male physicians if asked, yet many women have no preference at all. The quite different results of the surveys lead to the conclusion that there are sociocultural influences on women's experiences and expectations, and that each patient has individual needs and should accordingly be treated as an individual.