Introduction: The percentage of female urologists in practice in the U.S. surpassed 10% in 2020 according to the American Urological Association (AUA) census. Women are motivated to succeed in their career but face disproportionate challenges surrounding reproduction, childrearing, and other family responsibilities. It is unknown the number of women in urology who had children or how their employer or training program accommodated them. We aim to establish childbearing practices of women in urology and to determine specific challenges that women who choose to have children experience. Methods: An electronic survey was sent to members of the Society of Women in Urology including residents, fellows, and female urologists practicing in the United States and U.S. territories via email and social media. The survey was distributed from February to May 2022 and included demographics, practice type, workplace, personal, and reproductive barriers to practice. Descriptive statistics were applied. Results: There were 379 responses received. The average age was 42.9 years (SD 18.6 years), and 71.0% self-reported white, 16.4% Asian or Asian American, and 6.3 % African American. Most women urologists practiced in an urban location (63.5%), at an academic setting (55.7%) and followed by private practice or hospital-employed settings. 67.2% felt that being female put them at a disadvantage for career advancement. Of the respondents, 68.7% have had children. Most respondents (78.0%) took 6 weeks or less for maternity leave. During pregnancy, women were offered redistribution of call, partner coverage of cases, coverage of overhead, decrease in productivity requirements or other accommodations (Figure 1). A significant number of women faced complications associated with pregnancy (29.4%), and 19.6% utilized reproductive assistance. Conclusions: Knowing how to best support women in urology who choose to build a family is imperative as more women enter the field. Urologists who experience pregnancy require time off, access to healthcare during pregnancy, and reproductive assistance. The results of this survey show the current accommodations offered, none of which are codified. It is unknown what strategies to improve work-life balance are preferred or if these accommodations had an impact on career progression. SOURCE OF Funding: N/a
