I had the great pleasure of listening in on a webinar, courtesy of Her Campus, with Campus Marketing and Community Manager, Julianne Skrivan, and special guest Dr. Jennifer Lincoln, who is an OB-GYN (obstetrician-gynecologist) and famous TikToker. The most important thing she does is spread awareness at her everyday job, helping women understand and feel empowered in their bodies when she isn’t helping her patients with delivering. Lincoln uses her platform on TikTok to help myth-bust ideas that are mentioned and misrepresented on social media.
Throughout this webinar, I learned how marketing companies are trying to sell their products—even ones that may be harmful to your vaginal area. They’re using social media as a profitable industry and aren’t concerned about the negative health impacts of using those products (such as feminine soaps, washes and sprays). Take everything you see from the media with a grain of salt. Dr. Lincoln believes all of us as social media consumers should do our part to make sure what we are reading is from a credible source. As we know, this is a huge problem within the social media realm. News spreads quickly even if what we are reading isn’t fully accurate or true. This being said, you should do your part to report posts that are spreading false or misinformation, paying special attention to feminine hygiene brands.
Dr. Lincoln recently released a book entitled Let’s Talk About Down There. This book is filled with information, and I mean that wholeheartedly. There’s knowledge about sexual health, feminine hygiene, women empowerment, being comfortable talking about sex, various birth control methods and how to ask the right questions at your gynecology visit. There’s a list of safe products to use (with one of the primary recommendations being Dove soap) and ingredients to avoid when selecting items to use externally around your vagina. Dr. Lincoln’s advice is to walk past the feminine hygiene aisle when shopping for products. (And ladies, NONE of these products should be used internally—the vagina can self clean!) Truly there is more advice and thought in this handbook than I can ever fully highlight in this article.
I want to mention a few tips that I learned from the webinar. One is that you need to take control of your body. Ultimately, you are the one that gets to make decisions and do the research to make sure you are making informed decisions. For example, there are tons of birth control methods. Dr. Lincoln mentioned the importance of selecting one that works best for you as an individual, and that may differ depending on what stage of life you are in or your goals in using it. Something new I learned is that you don’t need to detox after stopping the usage of birth control. That idea is a myth! It’s important to communicate with your health professional about your decisions but there is no secret recipe or anything crazy such as a detox. Your body will self-regulate your hormones just as it did before using one of these methods.
Another idea to remember is that your OB-GYN and health team have probably heard everything. It’s extremely important, to be honest, and comfortable, viewing the relationship as a partnership. You want the best advice and support, and your OB-GYN wants the same for you. Feel free to write down your questions and concerns before an appointment to make sure you cover anything you are left wondering about. The best way to be educated is to ask questions. As I learned from Dr. Lincoln, there is no better way to be informed than to ask the most credible sources. And if you are feeling like your thoughts or concerns aren’t being validated, it is OKAY to find someone who will listen and join you equally in that partnership.
It’s evident Dr. Lincoln is an amazing OB-GYN, and with extensive knowledge about her area of study, she is a wonderful role model for young women all around the world. As a society, we need to work towards educating young women better, which is something Dr. Lincoln aims to do! Sex education in schools varies, but it often isn’t taught to the extent that it should be considering all the knowledge and resources we have available today. Let’s Talk About Down There is the perfect handbook that covers questions you may be nervous to ask, even highlighting ideas you may have never even thought about. Never again will you feel ashamed about asking questions or wanting to learn more about your vagina, reproductive health, and everything in between. After reading this book (or listening to Dr. Lincoln’s TikToks, if you aren’t a reader) you will be left feeling empowered, wanting to join the movement in spreading positive awareness about being comfortable in the beautiful body you were given!