A TikTok post by creator Asteria (@asteriadamina) kicked off a deeply sensitive discussion about what OB-GYNs and other medical practitioners owe the patients they treat. She called the appointment the “worst experience” of her life, and many people in the comments debated whether the problem was that the doctor was a man or whether it reflected a much broader issue with standards in the medical field.
The post has now garnered almost 140,000 likes and taken on a life of its own as a discussion about medical dismissal in obstetric care. In the post, Asteria alleges that her doctor berated her to the point of tears. The doctor then reportedly asked her husband to explain why she was being so “emotional.” She also alleged that the doctor insisted on discussing his findings with her husband instead of speaking directly to her.
