Why Obstetrics Is Not Separate From Gynecology
Men have two different doctors for their male problems. They see a urologist for urinary problems, and they see an andrologist or male reproductive specialist for their testicles, scrotum, and erectile problems. So, why do men get to see two separate doctors, but women see one? Why is the field of obstetrics tied to gynecology? It seems a little unusual that women have to see one doctor for all of their "lady parts"-related health issues, but men get to see separate doctors when their parts are even more connected. Well, there are some reasons for that, and they are as follows.
The Menstrual Cycle Empties Through the Pelvic Floor and Can Cause UTIs Through Poor Hygiene
Every month, women bleed when they shed the uterine lining. This is a mix of old blood, new blood, and bits of the lining of the uterus, or endometrium. All of it is collected on a pad, usually. If a woman is not particularly good about personal hygiene in that area during that time of the month, she can develop urinary tract infections as a result of uterine blood and bacteria hanging around her urinary opening, which sits just ahead of her vagina. Hence, to treat the urinary problem, she has to address the health and hygiene issues surrounding her period, both of which are part of the dual field of OB/GYN.
Female Health and Genitalia Are Involved in Child Labor and Delivery
Because women have sex and simultaneously use their reproductive organs and genitalia to push out and deliver new life, doctors just decided to lump both of those practices together. It is an ongoing thing to have both obstetrics and gynecology as a singular practice. Maybe one day, when more is known about female anatomy than ever before, the two different but related fields will separate, as they are for men.
Historic Reasons
Over a hundred years ago, most doctors were men. They knew virtually nothing about female health and reproductive organs until corpse dissection and study became a regular thing. Even then, dissecting a female corpse was an unusual practice and somewhat frowned upon. It actually took women entering medicine and becoming doctors and spokeswomen of female reproductive health to gain any ground on the subject at all, and there is still more to learn about female organs and genitals. Ergo, the doctors of that time left female stuff to females and lumped it together. It remains to this day, or until someone finally says that they will ONLY practice obstetrics and not gynecology, or vice-versa.
