He noted that treating women has been the official mission of the specialty since 1935, and that the notice in September was really just a restatement and a reminder to gynecologists.

“I have three daughters and six granddaughters,” he said, “and I can tell you that women have been getting shortchanged in research and studies for as long as I’ve been a doctor.”

But apparently, before the notice came out, not all gynecologists thought that specializing in women meant never treating men. The ban affected gynecologists who had developed extensive skill and experience treating male patients, and they said that it would be difficult or impossible for many of those patients to find care elsewhere.

Some gynecologists were screening men at high risk for anal cancer, while others were treating men with chronic pelvic pain, often resulting from injuries to or irritation of the pudendal nerve. In both conditions, the affected body parts and treatments are the same in men and women, but gynecologists have more treatment experience than most doctors.

Both groups of doctors, and some of their patients, asked the board to make an exception. Initially, it declined, insisting that male patients could be referred to other doctors. But members changed their minds in November with regard to anal cancer screening. The disease is usually caused by a sexually transmitted virus, and Dr. Noller said the board recognized that gynecologists had a tradition of treating both men and women for such infections, so the screening was not out of line.

He also said the board did not want to come between doctors and patients or to interfere with research trials already in the works.

After the board reversed itself on cancer screening, members declined further interviews and began referring questions to David Margulies, who heads a public relations firm in Dallas and has written a book on crisis management. Mr. Margulies said the board declined to explain how it made its decisions, or how many members were involved.