History of gynecology?

Question

Why and when did we start to care about women's reproductive health? Who pioneered the push forward?

I know that physicans were reluctant to usually look at a woman's body due to the scandel associated with a woman's reproductive organs, but I want to know why and how it was started in the first place. Why did men all of a sudden care?

Okay, I'll rephrase that: who pioneered gynecology as a specific part of medicine? To say that men always cared doesn't answer anything. Who took the initiative to begin a MEDICAL study a woman's reproductive health?

This isn't based on movies. This is based on cultures of years passed I spent many years researching. I want to know WHEN it became a medical practice.

Answer 1

Most reports say that obstetrics in general was first practiced not by docs, but by midwives, developed as a medical discipline in the 17th century. And the end of the 17th century, European physicians began to attend on normal deliveries of royal and aristocratic families; from this beginning, the practice grew and spread to the middle classes. Gynecology as a branch of medicine dates back to Greco-Roman civilization, if not earlier. The renewal of interest in diseases of women is shown in the huge encyclopaedia of gynecology issued in 1566 by Caspar Wolf of Zürich. In the early and mid-19th century, physicians became able to successfully perform a limited variety of surgical operations on the ovaries and uterus. The American surgeon James Marion Sims and other pioneers of operative gynecology also had to combat the violent prejudice of the public against any exposure or examination of the female sexual organs. The two great advances that finally overcame such opposition and made gynecologic surgery generally available were the use of anesthesia and antiseptic methods. The separate specialty of gynecology had become fairly well established by 1880; its union with the specialty of obstetrics, arising from an overlap of natural concerns, began late in the century and has continued to the present day. [Encylopaedia Brittanica] Other reports show the use of endoscopic surgery for gynecologic procedures dating as far back as Hippocrates in Greece (460-375 BC). Agnodice is credited with being the first female gynecologist, and may be responsible for advancing the area of study even as far back as 350 BC.

Answer 2

All of a sudden care? Who ever said they didn't care? Perhaps your view of old movies and stories misplaces the role of men as more barbaric and uncaring person who's only purpose was to sire an offspring. Also, what scandal is it you speak of?

The role of men may not be as emotional and nurturing as a woman, but don't allow that to fool you into believing men didn't care. Their role was to provide, protect and put food on the table for their family. History has proven that many women in past eras have been barbaric and uncaring for their offspring as well.

The practice of OBGYN was perform centuries ago but titles were of insignificant concern back then. They didn't have the technology nor knowledge to differentiate the human anatomy into several categories. Men have been practicing medicine farther back much longer than when women have entered that field. I have never heard of any "reluctance" of them not wanting to view a woman's body. In most cases, if reluctance was present, it was usually due to the respect of a woman and the social norm of decency. In today's world, human decency is less prevailing. Many people today have no ethical value or decency resulting in the display of the more private anatomical areas. But I assure you, men have always cared.