I saw this when I crashed the ACOG convention. The problem is that most OB/GYN residents feel over-worked, spread too thin, and like they do not have the time or the power to make any difference. Even those who are more established seem to think all they can control is their own practice and what they teach their residents.

“I don’t have the seniority to change that.”

“You should talk to Dr. Hollier, the president of ACOG.”

But, even though my father has actually met Dr. Holier, having known her husband, I cannot get in touch with her. The older OB/GYN leadership at ABOG was resistant, alarmingly reassuring me that the neuroanatomy of the clitoris is covered in OB/GYN textbook, when not a single one contains even as much detail as Netter’s Atlas of Anatomy. Only Williams shows it at all, and only as of 2016.

I tried reaching out to young leadership at ACOG. No one answered.

I previously wanted to get OB/GYNs my age to email ABOG requesting that clitoral neurovascular anatomy be added to their board exams. No one would do it. It seemed like they were afraid of threatening their careers. My ex, whose best friend from college (class of ‘08, so she is young and should be open-minded) is a gynecologist. Because I wanted to punch her for her apathy, he had to explain to me that OB/GYN is very hierarchal and that she would have a lot to lose by speaking up. I’m not sure how much of this is true, but if that is the culture, OB/GYNs don’t have much power to change things until they are well established and in leadership positions.

Then of course I talked to an elderly male gynecologist who explained to me that clitoral anatomy was not relevant to his practice.