# Please tell me all about this OB GYN stuff, as a bloke **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 20, 2012, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-all-about-this-ob-gyn-stuff-as-a-bloke/632013 "2012-08-20T00:42:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-all-about-this-ob-gyn-stuff-as-a-bloke/632013/81 "2012-08-23T14:19:25Z")
Although usually (I won’t say always) it is pronounced by reciting the letters o-b-g-y-n not by reading it as a word (“obbgin”) as you would in RADAR. Sometimes seen puncutuated with a slash (OB/GYN) and sometimes not. But yes, it’s an abbreviation of sorts for Obstetrics & Gynecology. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-all-about-this-ob-gyn-stuff-as-a-bloke/632013/82 "2012-08-23T16:10:43Z")
> [@si\_blakely](#): > > In the UK… > > many other issues relating to contraception, menstruation, pregnancy and sexual health will be dealt with by a GP visit, midwife or in-surgery clinic, without any referral to a OB/GYN consultant. As you may have figured out already, this is backwards of how it’s done in the US. The yearly visit is with the OB/GYN, and for many (most?) women, they never see a GP - the lady-bits doctor also serves the role of the primary care physician. Since women are already at this doctor once a year, there’s no need to schedule a separate appointment for the general checkup. > [@Hello\_Again](#): > > Although usually (I won’t say always) it is pronounced by reciting the letters o-b-g-y-n not by reading it as a word (“obbgin”) as you would in RADAR. Really? I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone spell out the letters like that. In my experience, it’s universally pronounced “oh-bee-gin.” ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-all-about-this-ob-gyn-stuff-as-a-bloke/632013/83 "2012-08-23T16:20:01Z")
> [@CurtC](#): > > Really? I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone spell out the letters like that. In my experience, it’s universally pronounced “oh-bee-gin.” o-b-g-y-n is what I tend hear the most. I’ve heard the variant “O-B-gin” as well. It’s probably regional, so many thing are. I was just pointing out that it isn’t normally read as an entire word, like RADAR or SATNAV or other examples in the post I was responding to. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-all-about-this-ob-gyn-stuff-as-a-bloke/632013/84 "2012-08-23T17:16:52Z")
I’ve always said “o-b-g-y-n”, or “gynecologist”. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-all-about-this-ob-gyn-stuff-as-a-bloke/632013/85 "2012-08-23T17:22:51Z")
> [@Essured](#): > > Thanks **Broomstick**. > > A follow-up question: When men have a physical / check-up, is it called a “well man” exam? > I guess I’m trying to figure out if the (odd to my ears) phrasing is peculiar to (US) women or peculiar to the US of both genders I’ve never heard of a “well man” exam, but “well baby” exam is a common term. E.g. “We just took our son to his six-month well baby exam. The doctor says he’s in perfect health.” ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-all-about-this-ob-gyn-stuff-as-a-bloke/632013/86 "2012-08-23T19:06:56Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I’ve always said “o-b-g-y-n”, or “gynecologist”. Ditto. Or gyno. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-all-about-this-ob-gyn-stuff-as-a-bloke/632013/87 "2012-08-24T02:00:18Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > And does this mean that a male that gets one should see a Urologist? I donno. I suppose so, also I’ve never head of men getting yeast infections, also I suppose it’s possible. A quick google search shows yes, but uncommon. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-all-about-this-ob-gyn-stuff-as-a-bloke/632013/88 "2012-08-24T02:03:34Z")
My diabetic DH occasionally gets something very like a yeast infection, and the same OTC goop I use when I have one works for him, too. (I am not diabetic, just prone to yeast infections for some reason.) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-all-about-this-ob-gyn-stuff-as-a-bloke/632013/89 "2012-08-24T02:12:16Z")
you have your own designated hitter? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-all-about-this-ob-gyn-stuff-as-a-bloke/632013/90 "2012-08-24T02:26:31Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > o-b-g-y-n is what I tend hear the most. I’ve heard the variant “O-B-gin” as well. It’s probably regional, so many thing are. I was just pointing out that it isn’t normally read as an entire word, like RADAR or SATNAV or other examples in the post I was responding to. I had never heard anything other than o-b-g-y-n but there have been previous threads here that talked about it. People showed that the pronunciation was regional within the U.S. and varied among countries. It’s a big world and I wouldn’t want to have to cure it. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-all-about-this-ob-gyn-stuff-as-a-bloke/632013/91 "2012-08-24T13:31:19Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > you have your own designated hitter? Dickhead, not designated hitter. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-all-about-this-ob-gyn-stuff-as-a-bloke/632013/92 "2012-08-24T16:29:29Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Dickhead, not designated hitter. Just because they suck at fielding is no reason to call them names. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-all-about-this-ob-gyn-stuff-as-a-bloke/632013.md?page=4)