Reproductive Health Among Female Resident Physicians.

This study aimed to explore reproductive health practices among current female resident physicians in ACGME accredited programs in the United States. This was an exploratory cross-sectional study utilizing a survey distributed through RedCap. A recruitment email was sent to ACGME accredited residency programs in the United States for distribution to female trainees across all years of training. The survey included 17 questions addressing demographics and various reproductive health practices such as contraception, pregnancy, and egg freezing. Respondents were classified according to medical specialty and average number of hours worked per week. Descriptive statistics, including frequency distribution, were used for categorical variables, while mean, median, standard deviation, interquartile range, minimum, and maximum values were used for continuous variables. Chi square or Fisher's Exact test was performed to determine differences in the distribution of reproductive health practices among specialty and work hour groups. A total of 229 respondents were included in the study (26% Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN), 22% Internal Medicine, 10% Pediatrics, 10% Emergency Medicine, 8% General Surgery, 24% Other). The distribution by age and marital status was similar across the specialty groups. Most respondents had an OBGYN visit within the past year (44.3%), while 22.6% had an OBGYN visit more than 3 years prior. Most respondents (88%) experienced a barrier in visiting an OBGYN provider during residency, and lack of time was the most common reason reported. Ninety-two percent of respondents were using contraception (39% long acting reversible contraception and 32% ring or oral contraceptive pills). Most respondents (87%) were not pregnant at the time of the survey or trying to conceive during residency, and this was not significantly different across the specialty groups (p=0.2663). Forty-five percent of respondents felt that if they got pregnant during residency, it would negatively affect the way their peers viewed them as physicians. Over half (54%) of the respondents felt that their medical profession negatively impacted their plans for fertility, and this was not significantly different across specialty groups (p=0.3716). Our data demonstrate that most female residents experienced a barrier in seeing an OBGYN provider and nearly half of the respondents felt that pregnancy during their training would negatively affect their image as a physician. Additionally, our data shows that over half of the respondents felt that their medical profession negatively impacted their plans for fertility. Based on our analysis, we recommend placing additional emphasis on reproductive health needs when addressing the wellness of medical residents. Identifying opportunities for improvement in this area could help diminish the escalating problem of physician stress and ultimately improve residents’ reproductive health needs.