10 Comments

I appreciate your expertise, Dr Jen. Today is my 76th birthday, and I’ve only recently discovered through my local clinic that there is a way to hold UTIs to a minimum, and perhaps rekindle a sex life with my husband of 56 years with vaginal estrogen cream. Here’s hoping! 😉

Expand full comment
Nov 11, 2022Liked by Dr. Jen Gunter

Everyone should get your lesson on how to fact check. Thank you.

Expand full comment
Nov 10, 2022Liked by Dr. Jen Gunter

Beautiful article. There's something so great about being able to label a mal-adaptive behaviour with its scientific term that instantly strips it of its power. "The illusory truth effect". So good.

Expand full comment

In case I didn't know why I've NEVER been on Instagram (I don't even know how...), I certainly know now...

Expand full comment

This is a great article, especially for someone like me who does not do much on social media, stubbornly avoids TikTok and instagram, and has been just finding the courage to write here on substack!

I used to have an anonymous medical blog back in the early 2000’s that was pretty popular, enough to attract trolls. That’s when you know you’re having a real impact I guess! There was actually a medmal trial lawyer who started arguing his case against physicians and tort reform in my comments section, and before I learned not to engage, I spent many hours trying to convince him that his career choice and adversarial approach to imperfect but self sacrificing physicians was harmful… of course not a budge!

Is “don’t feed the trolls” still a universal adage?

Not engaging with false information is counterintuitive, but in the world of algorithm ranking and everything you mentioned - it really does make sense. As a family doc trying to establish trust in my patients, and buy in for decisions ranging from booster shots to colonoscopies, I find your post here very helpful. Another good article from a primary care perspective mirrors much of what you’ve written:

https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2022/0800/editorial-countering-medical-misinformtion.html

😊

Expand full comment
author

Yes, don't feed the trolls is still the same philosophy. It's so hard. Sometimes with a large account strategic punching back can be helpful, but that is a case by case basis for sure.

Expand full comment

In your opening sentence - are you referring to Dr. Fung?

Expand full comment
author

I am referring to the fact that the organizers of Kidney Week, the largest scientific conference on the kidney, invited me to speak about medical misinformation. Dr. Fung had nothing to do with inviting me or the session I spoke at.

Expand full comment

Gotcha! That makes sense now. (: Thank you!

Expand full comment

Along the lines of this article, I wonder what you think about "vaginal rejuvenation" (a name that makes it very GOOPified to my eye), some kind of laser treatment of the vagina for post-penopausal dryness. HuffPo published an article on it at https://www.huffpost.com/entry/vaginal-atrophy-rejuvenation-menopause-laser_n_637c11f4e4b0a97fec7fc2d3

Expand full comment