Why these docs are opening up about sex on social media

Using alum could help tighten the vagina and masturbation can render one sightless. It is easy to come across such advice and warnings online. What is tough, however, is to find a reliable source who can be trusted to put out correct information on that most taboo of topics: sex. Not anymore though because there is now a growing list of health practitioners who are using social media to talk about everything from contraception to myths on sex and body-shaming.Boldly going where few dare, these experts are bringing discussions around sexuality and sexual wellness, which have been carried on only in hushed tones down the years, into the mainstream. So, there is the 29-year-old ‘dr_cuterus’ on Instagram, otherwise known as Dr Tanaya Narendra, who puts out quirky reels in which she frequently makes use of toys and models of body parts to describe and explain fertility, menstruation, etc.Ruing the continuing use of porn as the primary go-to guide on sex in India, the Prayagraj-based Tanaya says the presence of doctors on social media is prompting people to shed their inhibitions and seek out guidance on these matters.The videos, which are made with a light touch and deliver their message in straightforward language, dispel myths and promote safety. Talking about the alum solution, advocated by an influencer with a massive following on Instagram, Tanaya says it “is a disaster waiting to happen”. “We are not against traditional medicine but there is a lot of incorrect information floating around,” she warns.Medium108404516 It is a view echoed by Pune-based gynaecologist and obstetrician Dr Nina Mansukhani, who started posting reels and videos on Instagram during the Covid lockdown. “Everything is available on Google but what an online search does not give you is the benefit of experience and that is what practising doctors are able to provide.”Compared to younger doctors and influencers dealing with similar topics on social media, Mansukhani has “less colourful” content but is followed diligently by several patients and by those looking for expert advice on female health from the privacy of their smartphones and computers.“During the Covid-19 pandemic, I realised that with so many followers, I had to put out information which would help people and create awareness. I am doodling, giving healthy recipes, making small videos around issues like the secrecy surrounding the buying of sanitary products,” she said.Dr Prateek Makwana, a consultant embryologist in Jodhpur, is better known as @fertility_scribbles by his 145K Instagram followers. From questions on virginity and masturbation to pulled muscles during sex, the 30-year-old finds himself dealing with a wide range of questions on social media.“What we believe is common knowledge is actually not. There is so much misinformation about something like masturbation and several influencers have spoken about how bad it is, like you can go blind or lose your hair if you do it. In fact, very often doctors like me are abused on social media when we try to dispel myths,” he says.Tanaya though has detected an attitudinal change. “Over the past two years, I have seen that people’s responses have changed dramatically. People did try and shame me and my parents for my online work but my family has fully supported me in this work,” she says.Makwana says that what doctors like him have managed to do is to spur more fellow health practitioners to talk about sex and sexual wellness on social media and challenge the prevalent stigma and plethora of misinformation around such topics.Deepti Pinto Rosario, a 35-year-old gynaecologist from Goa, believes if parents, schools, and even the government did not attach so much shame to words like vagina, vulva, penis, sex etc., there would be no need for doctors like her to be busting myths on social media.“Such issues should ideally be taught in schools. We would be glad to help the governments make such a curriculum so that people need not depend on the internet for what should be basic knowledge,” she says. Rosario took to social media after her own pregnancy, where a nagging stomach pain went undiagnosed for months and was finally discovered to be a complication from a burst appendix.But these doctors warn against the pitfalls of following people blindly on social media, saying that along with misinformation, some are using the platform to fleece users. “When following someone, look for red flags. When you see a paid partnership, then you are not looking at pure content. Look for conflicting matters by accessing one’s earlier posts. They cannot say ‘I think’ or ‘I feel’ because such material must always be source-backed and not someone’s opinion,” Mansukhani says.Rosario, too, has a checklist to guard against fraudsters. “I’m a gynaecologist, so I’m not going to talk about paediatrics. There are many people making money around these issues, by either promoting products or selling health packages. Don’t fall for this. Please check with your doctor,” she says.