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.
One user wrote, “First mistake was going to a male OB/GYN. It’s like buying a car from someone who’s never driven.”
These cases can contribute to long-term avoidance of healthcare
Another user shared her own experience, writing, “I recently went to a new dermatologist. I was called in, sat down and started to explain what brought me in. Her tone and demeanor was crazy. I said ohhh, no this won’t do. I got up and walked out, got my co-pay refunded and left. You do not have to tolerate disrespect from medical professionals or anyone for that matter.”
@asteriadamina had the worst experience and I hope that man gets fired. #pregnancy #fyp #doctors #obgyn #blowthisup
♬ Bitch WTF – King of Accra
Another commenter offered a suggestion that she apparently wished more patients would follow. “Normalize going back to the secretaries on the way out and loudly complaining about said doctors in front of any and all people in the waiting room,” the user wrote. “I’d bet it’d make it harder for them to treat their next patient the same.”
The emotional impact of these encounters can be significant. When patients feel belittled or dismissed, the experience can contribute to long-term avoidance of essential healthcare. Another central point of discussion in the comments focused on Asteria’s husband and how he responded during the appointment.
One commenter questioned what the husband had done during the encounter. A private account defending Asteria in the first person responded that her husband had been working on anger management for years. The account went on to explain that he was fiercely protective but never hostile, making it clear that the commenter was Asteria herself.
And there is something worth learning from that. Effective support does not necessarily require matching a medical professional’s hostility. Sometimes it simply means making sure the patient feels emotionally safe when the person who is supposed to provide that safety fails to do so.
People wanted her to make a formal complaint
The broader discussion generated by the post reflects a growing conversation around patient autonomy. Patients have increasingly turned to the tools available to them, from formal complaints and lawsuits to social media, in an effort to push for higher standards from medical professionals and institutions.
Asteria strongly urged the creator to formalize her experience by reporting the incident to a medical ethics board or hospital administration. Asteria confirmed that she intended to follow through by filing a formal complaint against the practitioner.
Ultimately, patients are not obligated to remain with a physician who makes them feel dismissed or disrespected. If a practitioner fails to provide adequate care, patients retain the right to seek their healthcare elsewhere.
