Transcript of Gynecologist Debunks Popular Myths About Women’s Health | Mel Robbins Clips

One of the reasons why I was so excited to talk to you, Dr. Gunther, is because you are the number one OB/Gyn that people turn to around the world to debunk all the myths that are out there about women's health. We are going to get into every aspect of women's health. So Dr. Gunther, what are the biggest myths about periods?

Well, I think one of the biggest myths is that you're releasing toxins or impurities during menstruation, and you're It's just blood, like the blood from your arm, with some endometrium, which is the lining of the uterus, and some inflammatory fluid, and some cervical mucus. And then by the time it comes out, it's picking up some of that vaginal discharge.

So what are the shocking symptoms of periods that no one talks about?

Well, I don't think anybody talks about period diarrhea, although I've certainly made that my personal mission to talk about that. So about 12% of people who menstruate get period diarrhea. And if you've had it, you know. And if you don't, then you're really lucky. And I had terrible period diarrhea. I mean, there were days where I'd have to go to the bathroom 10 times. I think I'm a prostagland and overproducer. That's a symptom that people can have. It's always amazing to me whenever I talk about menstruation, I ask people in the room to lift up their hands if they've ever had menstrual diarrhea. And usually, yeah, you've had it. Usually, it's higher than 12%, but I also think that my audience probably skews more to people who've had medical issues. So that's probably why. But then I ask, and they're almost all women in the audience, who's never heard of it. And there's always women who put their hand up. And I don't fault them. Nobody talks about it.

Well, I didn't think it was a thing. I just thought it was obvious because you're having cramps. So wouldn't everything be impacted by the cramps that you're having? Yeah.

I mean, not everybody gets it. It's due to the prostaglandins. And we all have this different, I would say, sensitivity, for lack of a better word, with prostaglandins. Probably some people make more, maybe some people have more prostaglandin receptors because there's a scale in which people have menstrual cramps There's people who are like, I don't know what you're talking about. I don't feel anything ever. And there's people have really bad menstrual cramps and not due to another medical condition, like endometriosis or something like that. So there's this whole spectrum. And some of that may be the fact that some people just either make more prostaglandins, which are the hormones that are produced during menstruation that are part of the menstrual cycle.

So Dr. Gunther, is there a cleanse that actually works to clear out the pipes and drop Cleanse, medically speaking?

No. When you hear the word cleanse, you should think scam. You should translate that into your head because it harkens back to the time when we were trying to get closer to God. You needed to cleanse yourself to be closer to your deity. And if you think back, for several hundred years, we thought about bodies in the sense of humors. You had black bowel, yellow bowel, phlegm, and blood, and it was this imbalance. We wanted to get back in balance. We wanted to get more pure. We wanted to get closer to God. When germ theory was discovered, there's the branching off. But it's really fascinating that the wellness industry has really tapped into that purity culture. It's been with us for thousands of years. But yeah, so cleanse is really a very purity culture type of term.

Is there a term that you would use instead? Because I do feel like there's this desire, at least when I think of wellness, I want to do a reset. If my gut's not in good health, I want to do something that's going to reset it. I see you furrowing your brow at me.

Yeah, there's no reset. I've been brainwashed. Is that what you're saying? So you're saying you want to have a... That sounds like a religious experience at a temple or a church, right? Obviously, how you feel about your body is different for different people. And There's lots of people like, Wow, I feel really reset. I go away for a weekend. And again, that's meaning different things to different people. But is there something medically that you should do to reset your body? No. If you want to start eating healthy, start eating healthy. If you want to start exercising, start exercising. There's no A 30 test that you need to pass or a supplement that's going to get you there.

Do you actually need to poop every day?

I mean, the normal range is anywhere from three times a day to every three days. There isn't a set what you should do, but a lot of wellness influencers love to talk to you about that. I love to push that because there aren't going to be that many people then who poop exactly once a day. The best way to look after your body from a gastrointestinal standpoint. I mean, it's a very generic Another example is to eat 25 grams of fiber a day. The average American diet, I think, has 10 or 11 or 12. If people are looking to make one dietary change, unless there's a specific reason, your doctor's advised against it, Adding fiber to your diet, it reduces your risk of breast cancer, it reduces your risk of colon cancer, it reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes. It's interesting. There's all these miracle cures that are out there, but they're just not sexy, right? Like, add more fiber. It's easier to call it the stand on one arm, reflex diet. But yeah, it's just fiber. If people could take away two things for good health, I would say, whether it's for your menstrual cycle, whether it's for menopause, whether it's for your vagina, whether it's for any body part, it would be exercising and eating more fiber.

Those would be the two take home messages.

What are your favorite ways to get fiber?

I am a big fan of high fiber cereals because I'm lazy. So if I have a high fiber cereal in the morning, then I'm like a third to a halfway there. I love Kellogg's brand Buds. Call me Kellogg's. I would totally advertise for you. So they have 13 grams of fiber in a third of a cup. So you're like halfway there, and it's like 70 or 80 calories. And I mix it with a little bit of raw oatmeal, a little bit of wal nuts, a little bit of strawberries, a little bit of milk on it. You're good to go. I've had more people tell me that I have changed their lives with brand Buds than with anything I've recommended.

I'm feeling a new sponsor of the Mel Robbins podcast. We're going to make sure that they know that you're the one that recommended it. There must be so many myths and misinformation when it comes to the female orgasm. So Dr. Gunther, where do you want to start?

Yeah. So I would say one of the biggest myths is that a penis is a reliable way to achieve orgasm. And I would say it's probably the least reliable way. So many, many women are made to feel that if they don't have an orgasm with penetration, that there's something wrong with them. And that's actually normal. Lots of people don't. There's nothing wrong with you if penis and vagina sex isn't what gives you an orgas. This idea that both people should have orgas at the same time is also... That's Hollywood, which Which is invests what, like zero seconds in foreplay, right? So the idea that you need... Some people need a lot of foreplay. Some people want a lot of foreplay, right? So the idea that you should just orgasm like that. Also, that's a Hollywood myth. And the idea We have that orgasm is needed for pleasure, right? So pleasure, desire, all of these things are important in the sexual experience. And so if somebody feels very satisfied with their sexual encounter and they haven't had an orgasm, that's also okay. We shouldn't be making sex necessarily goal-oriented. Obviously, if that's what you like, that's different.

But it's important for us to understand there's a big, wide range of what people like.

I think that's really important because I would imagine if If you're having trouble having an orgasm with penetration, or if it's taking you longer than you think it should, and you start to develop a story in your head that there's something wrong with you or that this is very hard for you to do, I would imagine that all of that stress and the story you're telling yourself also interferes with your ability to have an orgasm.

Absolutely. Things that take you out of the moment, right? So mindfulness plays a big part in a good sexual experience, and things that are taking you out that, just like, Is there a pile of dirty laundry? Different things can take you out of that moment, right? So yeah, I think it's just really important for people to understand that it's a pleasure is generally the goal. And again, people have different desires requires different things that they want to get out of sex. And so it's important to think about that whole range of experience. But in general, I would say the biggest myth that I undo is this idea that the penis is the bringer of the orgasm. I mean, obviously, there's a lot of people, lots of women having sex with women who have a fantastic, amazing sex. There's people who have fantastic, amazing orgasms with vibrators. Get over the penis. I mean, it's great, but it's not the be all in the end all.

If somebody's listening and they do have trouble having an orgasm, do you have particular advice or recommendations that you would give to somebody?

Well, there's a couple of good books that I would recommend, Come as You Are, I think is a really great book. Book by Emily Nagalski, and Better Sex Through Mindfulness by Dr. Laura Brado. Those are a couple of good books that I recommend. A Sex Therapist can be helpful. Just learning the mechanics, understanding things, and exploration, getting a vibrator, trying different things, seeing what pleasure is, really thinking about all the different tools that might be available to you.

So if you're having sex and it's pleasural, but it's painful, what do we need to know?

I would like people to know that pain with sex isn't a normal experience. If you have pain with sex, your health care provider should be helping you out. Too often, I see people who just say, Well, I told my doctor, he said that was normal, and it's not normal. Pain with sex is a medical condition, and it can be caused by many different things. A yeast infection can cause pain with sex, for example. The changes with menopause can cause pain with sex. People can develop tight muscles around their vagina, a condition called vaginismus, which can cause pain with sex. People can have a nerve pain condition. They can have skin conditions that can cause pain with sex. There's many, many different things that can cause it. Endometriosis can cause scarring at the back of the vagina, and that can cause pain with sex. There's a condition called a painful bladder syndrome. You think about all the different structures that are around there. Many, many different things can cause pain with sex. It's important to get an evaluation and get a diagnosis so then you can hopefully get the right treatment.

Today, you and I are busting medical myths and misinformation. What are we getting wrong about our vaginas?

That's a loaded question. I wish people would just forget the word hymen. It is probably the most misunderstood body part.

So let's talk about pubic hair.

Everybody wants to talk about pubic hair. It's so fascinating.