Gender preferences for providers of health and counseling services.

Abstract A study of gender preferences for providers of health, counseling, and academic services examined the relationship of gender preference to the gender of client or potential client and the nature of the service sought. Participants in the study represented 64% of a randomly selected sample of undergraduates at a private coeducational university. These participants, totaling 1,095, included 545 women and 550 men. Results of the study suggest that gender preferences do exist among women and men for providers of some health and counseling services. Preferences are typically for same-gender individuals. Women more often than men think it important to have a choice of a male or female provider and women more frequently than men tend to prefer a same-gender provider for a given service and for more of the services considered. The study suggests that gender preference is related to the nature of the service. Preference for a same-gender provider is stronger for all respondents in those services that seem...