3 hours ago
Topics that once felt too awkward to discuss—like digestion and sex—are increasingly being brought into the open by doctors and educators using social media.
Dr. Trisha Pasricha, a gastroenterologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, regularly tackles uncomfortable questions about gut health on social media and in her Washington Post column.
With more than 111,000 Instagram followers, she shares information about digestive health, research trends, and common concerns many patients are hesitant to discuss—even with their doctors.
Pasricha explains that improving gut health doesn't require a major overhaul. Instead, she encourages small, sustainable changes like increasing fiber intake and cutting back on ultra-processed foods. She notes that 95% of Americans do not get the recommended daily fiber and suggests adding nutrient-rich chia seeds to breakfast and a variety of high-fiber vegetables to meals. She also advises reducing consumption of ultra-processed foods, which contribute 90% of added sugars in the diet, and cutting back on alcohol, which has been linked to dementia, increased cancer risk, and decreased gut health.
Another educator using social media to address taboo topics is Karishma Swarup, a master's student at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Through her Instagram platform Talk You Never Got, Swarup promotes comprehensive sex education focused on consent, communication, and healthy relationships.
"People think sex education is teaching people how to have sex," Swarup said. "It's really not—it's so much more about the social-emotional skills around consent and healthy relationships." She started her Instagram page during the COVID quarantine and has grown her audience to 57,000 followers, primarily young adults aged 18 to 35, in both her native India and the U.S.
Swarup emphasizes the importance of ongoing conversations about sex and consent, rather than viewing sex education as a one-time talk. She highlights a cultural shift toward understanding consent as a continuous practice where both partners feel mutually respected and able to opt out at any time without consequences.
Both Pasricha and Swarup agree that open conversations can help people make healthier choices and reduce stigma around important health topics. Pasricha also points out that women are often disproportionately dismissed by their doctors and recommends that women be specific about how symptoms affect their daily lives, providing examples to ensure their concerns are taken seriously.
Pasricha’s new book, You've Been Pooping All Wrong, will be released on April 7th.
