Urinary Incontinence and Female Urologists

Prevalence statistics for urinary incontinence is twice as common in women as men in the U.S. (NIDDK, NIH) Yet, the number of women urologists is much lower than men in that field (92% male to 8%, female.) According to Dr. Christina Pramudji, a urologist in Houston, she says that “as soon as women learned that there is a female urologist, they flocked.” * Dr. Leslie Rickey, professor of Yale School of Medicine, and president of Society for Women in Urology, said that female urologists are an asset because women will seek them out. Part of the reason why women hesitate to go to see a urologist with urinary tract problems is perhaps related to not having enough women urologists.

Since male urologists (92%) outnumbered female urologist (8%), the odds of you seeing a urologist who is a man are very good. “With more female urologists, patients will have more choice in who gets to be their doctor. ”**

On the flip side, some female doctors will tell you that gender does not matter as long as patients feel comfortable with their doctors.

Below are statistics of women practicing medicine in various specialties with the greatest share of women in OB-GYN; lowest in urology.***

50 % OB-GYN and women’s health
50% Pediatrics
37% Psychiatry and mental health
35% Family medicine
33% Internal medicine
28% Oncology
18% Plastic surgery
12% cardiology
9% Orthopedics
8% Urology

*, ** Poncie Rutsch, Why the Urologist is Usually a Man, but Maybe not for Long, April 29, 2015, Health news from NPR

*** Notes: Survey of 19,657 physicians across 26 specialities, conducted Dec 30, 204-March 11, 2015,

Source: Medscape Physician Compensation Report 2015

Credit: Alyson Hurt/NPR

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