Table 4.
Patient–Provider Communication Experiences and Preferences for Terminology Related to Sexual and Reproductive Anatomy and Associated Examinations by Gender Identity
| Total sample |
Gender identity |
p | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) |
Binary |
Non-binary |
||
| n = 1788 | (n = 1218, 68.1%) | (n = 570, 31.9%) | ||
| Experiences—has a medical provider ever… | ||||
| Asked for your preferred language for body parts | 481 (26.9) | 365 (30.0) | 116 (20.4) | <0.001 |
| Preferences | ||||
| Ask me what words I prefer to use for my body parts | 1390 (77.7) | 927 (76.1) | 463 (81.2) | 0.015 |
| Use medical terminology as opposed to slang when talking about body | 1169 (65.4) | 781 (64.1) | 388 (68.1) | 0.102 |
| Preferred terminology (Examinations) | ||||
| Chest/breast examination | ||||
| Top examination | 129 (7.2) | 90 (7.4) | 39 (6.8) | 0.213 |
| Chest tissue examination | 229 (12.8) | 147 (12.1) | 82 (14.4) | |
| Chest examination | 1382 (77.3) | 943 (77.4) | 439 (77.0) | |
| Do not have a word | 48 (2.7) | 38 (3.1) | 10 (1.8) | |
| Gynecological examination | ||||
| GYN examination | 268 (15.0) | 162 (13.3)a | 106 (18.6)a | <0.001 |
| Pelvic examination | 788 (44.1) | 490 (40.2)a | 298 (52.3)b | |
| Bottom examination | 136 (7.6) | 109 (8.9)a | 27 (4.7)a | |
| Pap test | 165 (9.2) | 112 (9.2)a | 53 (9.3)a | |
| Do not have a word | 142 (7.9) | 118 (9.7)a | 24 (4.2)b | |
| Has had hysterectomy and oophorectomy and/or genital surgery | 289 (16.2) | 227 (18.6)a | 62 (10.9)b | |
| Preferred terminology (Anatomy) | ||||
| Chest/breasts | ||||
| Female-identified terminology | 209 (11.7) | 93 (7.6)a | 116 (20.4)b | <0.001 |
| Male-identified terminology | 44 (2.5) | 38 (3.1)a | 6 (1.1)a | |
| Gender-neutral terminology | 1455 (81.4) | 1037 (85.1)a | 418 (73.3)b | |
| Do not refer to it or have a word | 80 (4.5) | 50 (4.1)a | 30 (5.3)a | |
| Clitoris | ||||
| Female-identified terminology | 770 (43.1) | 431 (35.4)a | 339 (59.5)b | <0.001 |
| Male-identified terminology | 701 (39.2) | 573 (47.0)a | 128 (22.5)b | |
| Gender-neutral terminology | 33 (1.8) | 21 (1.7)a | 12 (2.1)a | |
| Do not refer to it or have a word | 231 (12.9) | 147 (12.1)a | 84 (14.7)a | |
| Phallus | ||||
| Male identified terminology | 53 (3.0) | 46 (3.8) | 7 (1.2) | 0.003 |
| Vaginal opening | ||||
| Female-identified terminology | 787 (44.0) | 477 (39.2)a | 310 (54.4)b | <0.001 |
| Male-identified terminology | 49 (2.7) | 39 (3.2)a | 10 (1.8)a | |
| Gender-neutral terminology | 518 (29.0) | 391 (32.1)a | 127 (22.3)b | |
| Do not refer to it or have a word | 406 (22.7) | 285 (23.4)a | 121 (21.2)a | |
| Has had a vaginectomy | 28 (1.6) | 26 (2.1)a | 2 (0.4)a | |
| Ovaries/gonads | ||||
| Female-identified terminology | 1015 (56.8) | 640 (52.5)a | 375 (65.8)b | <0.001 |
| Male-identified terminology | 68 (3.8) | 47 (3.9)a | 21 (3.7)a | |
| Gender-neutral terminology | 63 (3.5) | 52 (4.3)a | 11 (1.9)a | |
| Do not refer to it or have a word | 364 (20.4) | 259 (21.3)a | 105 (18.4)a | |
| Has had an oophorectomy | 278 (15.5) | 220 (18.1)a | 58 (10.2)b | |
| Uterus | ||||
| Female-identified terminology | 1050 (58.7) | 666 (54.7)a | 384 (67.4)b | <0.001 |
| Male-identified terminology | 79 (4.4) | 64 (5.3)a | 15 (2.6)a | |
| Gender-neutral terminology | 24 (1.3) | 18 (1.5)a | 6 (1.1)a | |
| Do not refer to it or have a word | 357 (20.0) | 250 (20.5)a | 107 (18.8)a | |
| Has had a hysterectomy | 278 (15.5) | 220 (18.1)a | 58 (10.2)b | |
Percentages are calculated by column. p-Values refer to the omnibus chi-square with Bonferroni correction; absuperscripts are used to denote differences in paired comparisons. Percentages with differing superscripts within rows are significantly different at p < 0.001.
Data for clitoris and phallus are presented separately for the gender identity analyses.