Do underwired bras cause cancer? What is the deal with abortion pills? How does one use a dental dam? Gynaecologist-in-training Dr Tanaya Narendra tackles myths and taboo topics aplenty on her popular Instagram account, Dr Cuterus. The ‘millennial doctor’ talks to us about the horrors, delights, and importance of running a sexual wellness platform in India. By Adila Matra
T+ L India: What made you start an Instagram page dedicated to sexual wellness?
Dr Tanaya Narendra: I was living in England a few years ago, and at that time menstrual cups were not really available [in India]. I found a cup on the internet that was quite affordable, and I started using it and talking about it on my personal Instagram account. Anytime I would come to India, all of my friends would ask me to bring back cups. One day, after I moved back home, I picked up a uterus model (both my parents are doctors, so there are models lying around the house) and made a video explaining how a cup works. Coincidentally it was World Menstrual Hygiene Day, and people really liked it and asked me to make it [the video] public. This happened in May 2019. So, I made a public page (@dr_cuterus), but I didn’t intend for it to become what it has. I just wanted to work on the misinformation that existed around women’s health and sexual health.
T+ L India: How did people react to it initially? How has the response changed over the years?
Dr Tanaya Narendra: The response was largely positive. Initially, there would be a lot more trolling—almost 20 per cent of the responses. Now, it’s may be two per cent. Usually, the concerns are not about Indian culture; I talk more about sexual health as opposed to sex itself. Sometimes, it’s inappropriate comments on my body or what they want to do to my body. Once, somebody sent me a picture of their penis and it was horrifyingly funny. I was looking for creative ways to deal with it, and instead of just reporting spam, I went to their profile and looked up their most recent pictures to see if any woman was tagged. I found one, who I thought to be a close friend, and sent her the screenshot of the conversation. It turns out she was his fiancée, and she broke off the engagement.
T+ L India: How do you choose the topics for your videos?
Dr Tanaya Narendra: I have a large database of questions, because I work as a doctor and there are so many queries that my patients have. Then, of course, the comments, the Instagram DMs, and lastly, the questions that I discuss with friends. For example, I was very concerned about my dark-haired thighs and I used Veet. Now I know the harmful effects of it. As a young girl, it was a question that was so heavily ingrained in my head, and I imagine a lot of other people would have been similarly insecure. I [also] did a video about the effects of mint cigarettes on fertility, because I know so many of my friends freak out about smoking cigarettes.
T+ L India: What is the biggest compliment you have received?
Dr Tanaya Narendra: Last year, somebody sent me a picture of their one-year-old child. Earlier, they weren’t able to conceive and had messaged me for advice. They just needed a small tweak in their sex life—I told them to put a pillow under the hip. And they conceived their first child! That kind of gratification is unreal.
T+ L India: Which reel of yours has been most widely shared?
Dr Tanaya Narendra: The dumbest Instagram post is the one where I talk about unprotected sex and my period disappearing for a week. It was a joke, but it has five million views (laughs). Another reel on oral sex and how you need to use condoms and dental dams has 4.5 million views, and I think that’s a good one!
T+ L India: What is the future of sexual health discourse in India?
Dr Tanaya Narendra: As a gynaecologist in training, I think we are totally clueless on a large scale but we have moved forward on some grounds. Sex is a conversation that people have now; it was not there before. So, I am optimistic. It has gotten so much better because we now have popular media representation of carrying condoms, pills, and things like that.
T+ L India: What are your favourite wellness destinations?
Dr Tanaya Narendra: Andamans and Maldives. I am a scuba diver and beach person. Scuba diving is ideal for meditation, and to me, it is a wellness sport. It’s very slow; it does get the adrenaline pumping, but it is not as sporty as bungee jumping.
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