Meet a Fierce Advocate for Women’s Health: Jen Gunter, MD

March 25, 2022 — Jen Gunter, MD, refuses to remain silent when she sees deceptive claims about girls’s well being merchandise.

In reality, the world’s most well-known — and outspoken — OB/GYN (as described by The Guardian), is on a social media mission to talk up every time she sees firms or governments “prey on women’s health and vaginal shame.”

With practically 400,000 followers, Gunter by no means shies away from an issue.

Just this week, she railed towards vitamin and complement maker Olly’s vaginal probiotic, taking the corporate to job for its product premise and objectionable advert copy.

WebMD caught up with the San Francisco-based physician and writer of two books, The Vagina Bible and The Menopause Manifesto. The following interview has been frivolously edited for size and readability.

WebMD: So these Olly capsules purport to be “Probiotics for Your Panty Hamster.” What was your response to this?

Gunter: Seeing the phrase “panty hamsters” is so egregious. I’m so used to baseline vaginal opportunism, however this was simply completely egregious and I needed to name it out.

WebMD: What are vaginal probiotics anyway?

Gunter: These are certainly one of these massive wellness scams the place firms attempt to promote you on in some way hacking your microbiome by taking them. They’re not cheap, both, and might vary in value from $30 to $150 per thirty days, relying on how bespoke they’re. And but the info isn’t good. There is little to no proof of the worth of those probiotics besides to shareholders.

WebMD: What’s one declare made within the Olly probiotic packaging that bothers you probably the most?

Gunter: The product claims to steadiness the vaginal pH. To say that may be a gross misunderstanding of the vaginal ecosystem. If that tagline is what you’re main with, what else don’t you realize?

Also, if these items labored, we’d advocate them. Vaginitis is complicated and sometimes misdiagnosed, and it’s simple for an organization to be predatory and swoop in and say they’ve a product for you.

If I feel your product for the vagina is terrible and you haven’t studied it in not less than one high quality scientific trial (by no means thoughts company-funded or not), and your advertising and marketing shows a surprising ignorance about vaginal well being, don’t method me about your product. Really.

WebMD: When there’s a popular culture reference to, say, menstruation, you’re fast to weigh in.

Gunter: I noticed these viral messages from a boy mother (that’s what she known as herself) the place she wrote about being disgusted that there have been mentions of intervals in Turning Red, the animated film.

Everything is right here due to menstruation. If you didn’t menstruate, you wouldn’t have a child, we wouldn’t have the one that had the intelligence to construct the pc you’re spreading this message on. Menstruation is a crucial a part of human copy, and it’s much more complicated than folks suppose. For that motive alone, folks ought to find out about it

WebMD: Do you ever get nervous about being so “out there” on social media?

Gunter: I’ve my stalkers I suppose, however the trolls don’t hassle me. I don’t care if some no matter artwork vendor in New York thinks I’ve psychological sickness for selling masks. That’s the most effective you’ve acquired? Honestly, this doesn’t even register with me. It’s like throwing a grain of sand at a automobile.

WebMD: You additionally acquired into an change with Dr. Leana Wen, CNN’s medical analyst, about masks sporting.

Gunter: She clearly has a special opinion than I do. I feel one of many largest points within the pandemic is the change in messaging and this concept that in some way folks aren’t residing their regular lives proper now. I used to be unhappy to see her promote that idea.

This weekend I went out for lunch, I went furnishings buying, I went to the films, I took a hike. My household and I put on masks all over the place. I fail to know how sporting a masks means you’re not residing a traditional life when it’s clearly linked with the decreased unfold of the virus.

Almost all the things in medication is about threat discount. You can do issues to decrease your threat of coronary heart illness. It’s not 100% assured, however wouldn’t we wish a decrease threat of unhealthy issues? I’m going to maintain sporting a masks perpetually!

WebMD: Do you would like extra medical doctors have been extra vocal such as you?

Gunter: I want extra medical doctors would have conversations about well being outdoors of the workplace in methods they’re snug with. Like, you’re on the hairdresser and also you share data, otherwise you share data with 15 of your Facebook associates. If you’re a physician and publish an article about COVID-19 and the way it impacts the center, your 15 associates usually tend to learn that article than in case your good friend who’s a lawyer places that up.

As medical doctors, I imagine we are able to typically affect folks in massive and small methods.