IN the realm of healthcare, the focus of medical practitioners is — and always should be — on a patient’s well-being, not their appearance.
However, a recent advertisement allegedly promoting a feminine hygiene product has drawn sharp criticism from both the medical community and the public.
To make matters worse, the alleged comment in the advertisement was made while the “patient” was giving birth.
Taking to Threads, a nurse clarified that medical practitioners do not care about the colour of a woman’s private parts.
“What truly matters is your health, hygiene, and confidence. Love your body as it is and please, stop making false accusations towards healthcare; we’re here to help, not to mislead,” she said in her post.
Netizens were equally appalled by the advertisement, which allegedly promoted the product in a misleading fashion. Many pointed out that during pregnancy and childbirth, a woman’s body — especially her private areas — naturally undergoes changes.
“Please, let’s normalise ‘dark patches’ during pregnancy because they’re caused by hormonal changes. This kind of ad looks down on those dark patches. After giving birth, they’ll fade quickly anyway. Poor first-time mums who get influenced by this nonsense,” one commenter wrote.
Many individuals working — or who have previously worked — in the medical field echoed the nurse’s sentiments, emphasising that their priority is always the patient’s health, not superficial details.
“Nurses are only concerned about your wound — how you take care of it after giving birth. Whether you clean it or not. If it’s not kept clean, you could get an infection down there, which just means more work for the nurses,” a commenter remarked.
“Exactly. Nurses and doctors don’t have time to look at colour or anything — especially when there’s blood everywhere,” another added.
As the backlash continues, this incident serves as a powerful reminder of the responsibility advertisers bear — particularly when promoting products related to sensitive health matters.