Conquering social media
Opening the door has been more like releasing a floodgate for Danielle Jones, MD, an ob.gyn. physician who is originally from Texas but who moved to New Zealand in 2021. Known on social media as “Mama Doctor Jones,” she has garnered more than 3 million followers across YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Dr. Jones produces short, friendly, entertaining videos on a range of reproductive health and sex education topics. They appeal to an adolescent audience hungry for a trustworthy voice on issues such as,: “5 ‘Strange’ Things Your Vagina Does That Are NORMAL” and “Condom Broke ... Now What?”
Dr. Jones uses her platform to debunk some of the misleading and inaccurate sexual health information being taught in classrooms, by other social media influencers, and that is found on the internet in general. Her no-nonsense-style videos call out such myths as being unable to pee with a tampon in, Plan B emergency contraception causing abortions, and COVID-19 vaccines damaging fertility.
“The way sex ed is done in the U.S. in most places is continuing the taboo by making it a one-time discussion or health class,” said Dr. Jones, “particularly if boys and girls are separated. That doesn’t further communication between people or foster an environment where it’s okay to discuss your body and puberty and changes in sexual health in general. And if you can’t talk about it in educational spaces, you’re certainly not going to be comfortable talking about that in a one-on-one situation with another 16-year-old.”
Taking on other taboos, Dr. Jones has been outspoken about abortion and the consequences of the recent Supreme Court decision, both as an ethical issue and a medical one that endangers lives. Raised in a deeply religious family, Dr. Jones said she was indoctrinated with antiabortion views, and it took time for her thinking to evolve “from a scientific and humanistic standpoint.” While working in a Texas private practice, Dr. Jones described being unable to mention abortion online because of fear of losing her patients and for her own safety.
Now free of those constraints, Dr. Jones feels that her videos can be important resources for teachers who may have little health training. And she is enthusiastic about the complementary relationship between her social media work and her clinical practice. “There are conversations I have all the time in the clinic where patients tell me: ‘Nobody’s ever really had this conversation in this way with me. Thank you for explaining that,’ ” said Dr. Jones. “And then I think: ‘Well, now I’ll have it with a hundred thousand other people too.’ ”
Promoting pleasure
While not an ob.gyn., discussing sexuality with patients has become a focus for Evelin Dacker, MD, a family physician in Salem, Ore. Dr. Dacker is certified in functional medicine, which takes a holistic and integrative approach. During her training she had a sudden realization: Sexuality had not been discussed at any point during her medical education.
“I recognized that this was a huge gap in how we deal with a person as a human,” Dr. Dacker explained. “Since sexuality plays a role in so many aspects of our humanness, not just having sex.”
Dr. Dacker believes in rethinking sexuality as a fundamental part of overall health, as vital as nutrition or blood pressure. Outside her medical practice, she teaches classes and workshops on sexual health and sex positivity for young adults and other physicians. She has also developed an educational framework for sexual health topics. Dr. Dacker said she frequently confronts the idea that sexuality is only about engaging with another person. She disagrees. Using food as a metaphor, she argues that just as the pleasure of eating something is purely for oneself, sexuality belongs to the individual.
Sexuality can also be a tool for pleasure, which Dr. Dacker believes plays an essential role in physical health. “Pleasure is a medicine,” Dr. Dacker said. “I actually prescribe self-pleasure practices to my patients, so they can start owning it within themselves. Make sure you get 7-8 hours of sleep, do some breathing exercises to help bring down your stress, and do self-pleasure so that you can integrate into your body better.”
She added that the impact of prioritizing one’s own desires, needs, and boundaries can transform how people view their sexuality. Her adult students frequently ask: “Why wasn’t I taught this as a teenager?”