What is the ruling on a woman being treated by a male doctor when female doctors are available in the same field?
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Question:
This is a letter from a questioner who does not wish to mention her name. She says: In some maternity hospitals, many doctors are lax in examining pregnant women, even if they are in the early stages of pregnancy. They impose frequent visits, requiring them to come every two weeks, and sometimes as soon as a woman enters the doctor's room, he asks her to get on the examination table and expose her 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered) immediately, claiming that the doctor must see her every time. Some doctors even dare to adjust the position of the fetus, as they claim. There is a lot of laxity in this. If some women refuse, they do not force them; they just prescribe the medication, and no harm comes from not seeing them. But what caught my attention is the boldness of these doctors and the laxity of many women in agreeing without any necessity. What is the ruling of the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) in this? May Allah bless you.
Answer:
What bothers me about this matter is that it is wrong (munkar), that it is forbidden (haram), and that she should not be lax in this matter except for a cause and a serious obligation from which she fears. As for merely checking the pregnancy and the benefit and growth that comes from it, this does not justify him looking at her 'awrah, nor should she expose her 'awrah. Rather, women should stay away from this matter, cover themselves, and avoid this conduct that leads to exposing the doctor's 'awrah without any scrupulousness (wara') regarding it. Rather, doctors should also be kept away from this matter. If there is a need, it is possible for them to look at something else, such as looking at something outside the 'awrah that indicates the need for pills, injections, or a diet of something. As for exposing the internal 'awrah, this is a great danger and a major wrong (munkar), and it may lead to the reckoning of a family. There is no power and no strength except with Allah. The point is that this is wrong (munkar), so exposing the 'awrah or its affairs should not be done unless there is a new need or a great danger. And if it is necessary, let it be through women, through the chaste ones.
This is a letter from a questioner who does not wish to mention her name. She says: In some maternity hospitals, many doctors are lax in examining pregnant women, even if they are in the early stages of pregnancy. They impose frequent visits, requiring them to come every two weeks, and sometimes as soon as a woman enters the doctor's room, he asks her to get on the examination table and expose her 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered) immediately, claiming that the doctor must see her every time. Some doctors even dare to adjust the position of the fetus, as they claim. There is a lot of laxity in this. If some women refuse, they do not force them; they just prescribe the medication, and no harm comes from not seeing them. But what caught my attention is the boldness of these doctors and the laxity of many women in agreeing without any necessity. What is the ruling of the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) in this? May Allah bless you.
Answer:
What bothers me about this matter is that it is wrong (munkar), that it is forbidden (haram), and that she should not be lax in this matter except for a cause and a serious obligation from which she fears. As for merely checking the pregnancy and the benefit and growth that comes from it, this does not justify him looking at her 'awrah, nor should she expose her 'awrah. Rather, women should stay away from this matter, cover themselves, and avoid this conduct that leads to exposing the doctor's 'awrah without any scrupulousness (wara') regarding it. Rather, doctors should also be kept away from this matter. If there is a need, it is possible for them to look at something else, such as looking at something outside the 'awrah that indicates the need for pills, injections, or a diet of something. As for exposing the internal 'awrah, this is a great danger and a major wrong (munkar), and it may lead to the reckoning of a family. There is no power and no strength except with Allah. The point is that this is wrong (munkar), so exposing the 'awrah or its affairs should not be done unless there is a new need or a great danger. And if it is necessary, let it be through women, through the chaste ones.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ ابن باز Alsheikh Binbaz»، 118 ما حكم تطبب المرأة عند طبيب رجل مع وجود طبيبات في ذات المجال؟ للإمام ابن باز — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.