hat we’ve come to recognize as the modern OB-GYN specialty first emerged in the early 20th century when obstetrics and gynecology—separate and distinct fields until that time—were combined to offer comprehensive care throughout women's reproductive years. Today, many women indeed rely on their OB-GYNs not just for reproductive health, but as primary care providers for everything from family planning to cancer screening and menopause management. While the merger of obstetrics and gynecology seems logical, the union has led to a remarkably short-sighted approach that reduces women's health to their reproductive organs while short-changing other vital systems like the heart, brain, and gut.
This narrow focus has had far-reaching consequences for women's overall health and the medical profession's approach to treating women. In fact, it has become increasingly clear that a more holistic, specialized approach is needed to address the complex health needs of women throughout their lives. This realization has sparked a long-standing debate within the OB-GYN community about separating gynecology from obstetrics—a move I, a women’s health expert, wholeheartedly support.
The split would foster subspecialty development, research, and innovation in these historically underexplored areas while giving young doctors the opportunity to specialize in one or the other. Gynecology focuses on the health of the female reproductive system—including the uterus, ovaries and their hormone.