"He was a/an eugenicist." Would one use a or an in that situation?

Question

When one pronounces eugenicist, it begins with a "yu", which makes "a" sound like the correct answer. Yet when writing it, it feels very wrong to not use "an".

Answer 1

I'd def. use "a" because of the very thing you note: the initial vowel has a Y sound. You  wouldn't say "get me an urine specimen." This applies only to the US; Great Britain does it differently.

Answer 2

Hmmm...I can't say for sure, but if your writing it for a paper use an because it will look correct, but if speaking the word use a since it will sound normal. That's the only temporary solution i can think of.