What are some of the craziest misconceptions about sex or women's health you've had to address?
I would say there are a lot of misconceptions about birth control and how (people think) using it will lead to infertility down the road. There are so many misconceptions about what is normal in terms of vaginal discharge and a lot of misconceptions that the vagina should smell and taste like cherries or passion fruit or anything other than a product. crazy is abnormal or dirty.
How many questions would you say you get per day?
There will be days when I get maybe only 30 or 40 direct messages or emails, but there are other days when I get a few hundred. I have to be very explicit. On all of my posts and on all of my social media accounts - and this is so important to anyone who is on social media - you have to state that you are not going to give personalized medical advice because it is against the law. ethical, and I can't do that.
There are heartbreaking messages like, “I'm on my period and I'm scared to tell my mom” or “I think I have a yeast infection and I don't want to go to the doctor because they'll think I'm having sex. It all comes down to poor communication or misconceptions.
One of your TikToks discussing racism in healthcare has gone viral. How can healthcare professionals use this moment within the Black Lives Matter movement to combat implicit racial bias in healthcare?
I think it is important for health professionals to consider racism as a public health problem. This is nothing new and we have to admit that we should have been talking about this much longer. We need to fix it when it comes to communicating with patients, treating patients, understanding where they're coming from.
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Specifically, when it comes to women's health, understand that black women are disproportionately affected by maternal morbidity and mortality during childhood. Partner with them and say, “What do you need from us and how can we help you? And listen.
I think the reason (has gone viral) is that I'm a white doctor saying this. If it was another black doctor, I wonder if I would have had this much traction. I don't want people to think I'm the expert on this. Continue to amplify and listen to the voices of people who are experiencing this every day.
You often post about wearing multiple hats: you're a mom, doctor, essential worker, and author. What does success mean to you? And what inspires you today?
Everyone's image of success is different. Especially as women I think it is very important that you decide what success looks like for you. You don't have to have a career or be a mom. I would say success is about figuring out what inspires you and not letting other people tell you what you're supposed to do.
What inspires me, really, are the messages I get from people who say, “The reason I went to the OB/GYN today is because I saw your TikTok, and I wasn't afraid” or “I was too afraid to ask my doctor about pain with sex and I was able to do that, and we had a great conversation. » I save all of these posts, especially for bad days when I need a reminder when people aren't so nice on social media.
What would you say to people who want to break taboos around women's health like you?
It starts with simple things - he calls out breasts, breasts and vaginas, vaginas and realizes that these are not dirty words. If you are a parent, teach your children the correct words. Don't use silly euphemisms. It not only helps the conversation on the go when you want to talk about sex, but it also helps teach consent. If you tell them that a body part is a dirty word, they'll think they're not supposed to talk about it, and they might be less likely to come to you when they have a problem that could be abused. of. When you realize that your body isn't ashamed you are so much more likely to feel that you can access care and take care of yourself, so don't let other people make you feel dirty in your body.
Antonia DeBianchi is a TMRW contributor who has appeared in Apartment Therapy, Boston Magazine and Haute Living. She focuses on lifestyle, entertainment and culinary writing.
