Jennifer Gunter, MD

The Ellen Show broadcasts potentially harmful information about ovarian cancer screening

Conditions

October 30, 2018

Ethical OB/GYNs everywhere sighed heavily when they realized from the action on their Facebook and Twitter feeds that the Ellen Show broadcasted incorrect and potentially harmful information about ovarian cancer screening to almost 4 million people. Millions more will likely hear about it on social media.

Ellen Pompeo, who plays a doctor on the television show Gray’s Anatomy, decided to play doctor in real life and used her celebrity platform to recommend …

Dear science: an appreciation

Jennifer Gunter, MD

Physician

August 14, 2018

Dear science,

Today my sons, Oliver and Victor, are 15 years old.

It is not a miracle; it is thanks to you.

Unable to get pregnant I needed infertility therapy. If you had not isolated the hormones, developed tests, and then designed medications for ovarian stimulation and to trigger ovulation I would never have become pregnant.

If ultrasound had not been developed I would not have known I was pregnant with triplets and then …

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Dear science: an appreciation

Are there too many female OB/GYNs?

Jennifer Gunter, MD

Physician

March 29, 2018

The Los Angeles Times recently published a piece on the lack of men in OB/GYN. Only 17% of new trainees (residents) in OB/GYN are men and the male OB/GYN physicians who weighed in worried that this “lack of diversity could weaken the field.” Apparently, it sends a “horrible message to men,” and with the lack of men we might “lose the next person who is going to find a cure …

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Are there too many female OB/GYNs?

The flu vaccine doesn’t cause the flu. Period.

Jennifer Gunter, MD

Conditions

October 22, 2017

Flu vaccines are available, and so that means that the anti-vaccine brigade is out in force.

The Daily Mail published an anti-vaccine op-ed by a former reality TV contestant named Katie Hopkins. It was followed by a shorter counter argument by a doctor, but when you are given less than half the word count and are at the bottom of the page it is hard to mount an effective response. …

No, pregnancy did not help Serena Williams win the Australian Open

Jennifer Gunter, MD

Physician

May 2, 2017

The New Scientist wonders if Serena Williams pregnancy is making her a better athlete?|This is a new low in “pregnancy angles.”

I often get asked to comment on celebrity/athlete pregnancies, and I always decline. Why? Partly because I don’t want my name in articles like this, but also I don’t care what anyone does in their pregnancy and neither should you. If a celebrity or athlete is offering …

Providers and patients must listen to the evidence

Jennifer Gunter, MD

Physician

April 22, 2017

There is an interesting article from ProPublica called “When Evidence Says No, but Doctors say Yes” making the rounds. It’s about the number of doctors who disbelieve, don’t know or don’t care about medical evidence to the detriment of patients. I do not find any fault with the article. I rail against this daily. I have my whole professional life. It is actually a big reason …

Dear Lena Dunham: Check your abortion privilege

Jennifer Gunter, MD

Physician

January 18, 2017

Lena Dunham is under fire because of comments she made on her Podcast Women of the Hour. The episode, entitled Choice, begins with a thoughtful discussion of choice and how pro-life is a misnomer because those who self-identify that way are just anti-choice.

You can listen to the episode here.

The comment that has some up in arms is around the 14:40 mark. Dunham discusses how she was approached by a woman …

Pubic hair grooming means more sexually transmitted infections. Why?

Jennifer Gunter, MD

Conditions

January 11, 2017

Anyone who knows me, knows I have long been skeptical of the safety of pubic hair removal. We evolved to have pubic hair, and we have no data to say that we have outgrown that need as we have wisdom teeth. The current thinking is that pubic hair plays a role in protecting the more delicate/sensitive tissues of the labia and the vaginal opening. Basically, pubic hair is a mechanical …

An American doctor experiences UK emergency care firsthand

Jennifer Gunter, MD

Physician

December 5, 2016

Two years ago, I wrote about my experience in a London emergency department with my son Victor. That post has since been viewed over 450,000 times. There are over 800 comments with no trolls (a feat unto itself), and almost all of them express love for the National Health Service.

I was in England again this week. And yes, I was back in an emergency department, but this time …

What’s the real reason women remove their pubic hair?

Jennifer Gunter, MD

Conditions

November 28, 2016

A study published in JAMA Dermatology regarding women’s pubic hair grooming practices has people abuzz. This cosmetic act needs a formal medical name because “clamscaping” just doesn’t work on grant applications. Although why the authors couldn’t go with hair removal, I don’t know. The study wasn’t about styling, it was about removal. The study even made it into the New York Times. And yes, my first …

A call to arms for modern suffrage

Jennifer Gunter, MD

Physician

November 12, 2016

I started November 8th so hopeful. The polls were a comfortable 78. I wore my new berry colored pantsuit purchased especially for the election. I even wore my suffragette sash to work. The last face I saw before stepping into my office was a young woman in her 20s who gave me a thumbs up and that knowing smile that said, I’m with her too! Every woman I met had …

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A call to arms for modern suffrage

Don’t use garlic to treat vaginal yeast infections

Jennifer Gunter, MD

Conditions

October 26, 2016

Vaginal yeast infections are common, up to 75 percent of women will have at least one and 5 percent of women suffer from chronic yeast infections (meaning four or more a year). Many women out of frustration with allopathic medicine (preventing recurrent yeast infections can be challenging) or because of their beliefs turn to alternative medicine options. More and more I am hearing about vaginal garlic.

The problem with many alternative …

Donald Trump’s medical letter has so many things wrong with it

Jennifer Gunter, MD

Physician

August 25, 2016

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Donald Trump is talking about Hillary Clinton’s health as are two doctors who have never evaluated Clinton. This attention on Clinton has renewed some interest in the letter Donald Trump released last year from his personal physician.

Many outlets have picked it apart, but I want to tell you as a doctor exactly how bad it is. I would never write …

Please don’t take gynecological advice from Khloe Kardashian

Jennifer Gunter, MD

Conditions

August 18, 2016

The latest celebrity to use the internet like a a public speculum is Khloe Kardashian. I know this because my phone blew up recently with reporters texting, e-mailing and sending direct messages on Twitter asking about vaginal vitamin E. So I gave some quotes and thought it would all die down.

But no. Kardashian vagina ranks up there in national significance with the first woman running for the highest office …

Don’t remove your own IUD. Please.

Jennifer Gunter, MD

Conditions

July 2, 2016

Removing one’s own IUD is apparently “a thing.” There are even YouTube videos of women sharing their experiences. If you can get a medical degree from Google then why not get your OB/GYN residency from YouTube?

All kidding aside, I’m a gynecologist and I’m going to explain why you shouldn’t.

It’s not that people can’t technically pull out their own IUDs. It does happen accidentally, albeit rarely. An occasional …

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Don’t remove your own IUD. Please.

Don’t lose weight the Biggest Loser way. Here’s why.

Jennifer Gunter, MD

Conditions

May 23, 2016

A new study was released on weight loss and maintenance that has been covered on many sites. Researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) evaluated contestants from Season 8 of the TV show the Biggest Loser. They found that 13 of the 14 contestants studied regained some or all of their weight that was lost during the show. All the contestants studied also had slower metabolic rates than expected; …

The issues behind sex-selective abortion aren’t as clear as you think

Jennifer Gunter, MD

Conditions

April 30, 2016

Dr. Brian Goldman, in his blog for CBC radio, wrote about the new article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) on the sex ratio after induced abortion in Ontario, (i.e., sex selective abortion).

The article in the CMAJ confirms what is no surprise to me as an OB/GYN, that the ratio of male to female births for a third child born to women who emigrated to …

Vaginal marijuana for menstrual cramps. Does it really work?

Jennifer Gunter, MD

Meds

February 11, 2016

Foria wants you to know they are selling vaginal suppositories of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) called Fiora Relief for menstrual cramps. Each suppository contains 60 mg of THC and 10 mg of CBD.

Foria claims they can treat the pain of menstrual cramps and endometriosis. Is this possible?

THC and cannabidiol (CBD) are compounds found in marijuana. The psychoactive (i.e., high) from marijuana is believed to be due to …

Anything but dignified: The problem with forced fetal remains arrangements

Jennifer Gunter, MD

Conditions

February 3, 2016

Ohio is attempting to introduce legislation that would require abortion clinics to incinerate or bury products of conception from abortion. This legislation is already in place in Arkansas and Indiana. These laws are supposed to afford human tissue a “respectful and proper” end as lawmakers were apparently horrified that products of conception were disposed of as medical waste.

Medical waste is not an …

Your vagina doesn’t need a herbal cleanse. Here’s why.

Jennifer Gunter, MD

Conditions

January 25, 2016

I woke up to someone forwarding this tweet.

Yes, some company is selling tiny bags of herbs (they call them pearls) to stuff in the vagina for three days to cleanse your uterus or shrink your fibroids or treat bacterial vaginosis or tighten your vagina.

This is not only pointless it could be very dangerous. Here’s why.

Your uterus and vagina want you to leave them alone.

Your uterus isn’t tired …