Mythbusting Medicine | Jen Gunter, MD

Sep 26, 2023

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Despite advances in medicine, issues in women's health are still often mired in stigma, shame, misinformation, and disparities in access and societal standards. In this episode, we are joined by Jen Gunter, MD, who is perhaps the most well-known and outspoken gynecologist in the world. She has made it her life's work to dispel potentially dangerous myths about women's health and, more broadly, the wellness industry. Dr. Gunter is the author of The Preemie Primer, The Vagina Bible, Menopause Manifesto, and the upcoming book Blood: The Science, Medicine, and Mythology of Menstruation. She is also a columnist on women's health at the New York Times and the host of the podcast Body Stuff. Over the course of our conversation, we discuss her work as an early pioneer in chronic pain medicine and vulvovaginal disorders, how experiencing a challenging childbirth led her to write her first book, the various spars she's had with celebrities over medical misinformation, the importance of discussing uncomfortable topics such as sex with patients candidly, and how she builds trust with her patients.

In this episode, we discuss:

2:20 - An early accident that led Dr. Gunter to pursue a career in medicine

5:02 - Dr. Gunter’s experience as a woman in medicine

8:13 - What led Dr. Gunter to specialize in the intersection of pain medicine and women’s health

11:37 - How Dr. Gunter validates her patient’s experiences

16:19 - The unique ways in which OB/GYNs are “fluent” in both medical and surgical management

21:24 - The very challenging childbirth experience that led Dr. Gunter to write her first book, The Preemie Primer

26:38 - The ways in which doctors need to strive to do a better job communicating medical information with patients

31:07 - The growth of Dr. Gunter’s media presence since she began sharing her writing publicly in the early days of Twitter

36:34 - How coming of age as a doctor during the early years of the HIV epidemic made Dr. Gunter committed to normalizing conversations about sex with patients

41:18 - Dr. Gunter’s advice for dealing with misinformation on a daily basis

Follow Dr. Gunter on Twitter/X @DrJenGunter.

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