Sexual health

 

'I can't tell my mother that I have sex.

When Nadia, a resident of  india, arrived at a local clinic to get tested for a sexually transmitted infection (STI), she was embarrassed to return to the doctor's office.

Nadia, a 24-year-old student, says an elderly female doctor there discouraged her and threw some pamphlets at her as if she was an 'idiot'.

'I felt like I was being misjudged during this time, like it was my fault I got the infection and I shouldn't have had sex with my boyfriend.'

But now in the age of internet the youth of India have better alternatives where they are not ashamed to deal with such issues. Some telehealth startups have been around since last year and focus on sexual health.

With the help of these companies, people are provided with sexual health products and tips without any shame. Young people like Nadia welcome such services. These people's views on sex are quite different from conventional thinking.

Nadia used the service of a company called 'Farni Health' which provided her with an STI test at home

After speaking to a doctor on the website via video call, he was sent a 'vaginal swab kit' in plain packaging to provide samples for testing. The samples were received by courier the next day and the results were sent to them online within a week.

Nadia lives in a flat with her parents and two siblings. They say that nothing was written on the box. Even the courier didn't know what was inside. This is a good service.

My family is very traditional. I am from india and Muslim too. Some things you can expect. I can't tell my mom that I'm having sex.

"The Only Way"

Home STI tests have become common in the US and European countries, but the concept is relatively new in india.

Both experts and users agree that such services have been a long time coming. Clinical sexologist Martha Lee says there are a few things to consider before signing up for such an online test.

Home test kits can give false positive results. Doing these tests yourself can increase their chances of error.

He says, 'Inadequate cleanliness in the environment and carelessness in the swab test can affect the results. False results lead to treatment delays and complications.

However, for many indias, this is the only way to get advice and information about their sexual health.

Proponents of these services say they save time and ease of travel to clinics.

The lack of social embarrassment caused by these tests also attracts people to them.

'I felt humiliated'

Wayne, 37, used telehealth service Noah for men's sexual health. He sought help to treat his premature ejaculation (PI) condition.

Taking medication for PI is like taking paracetamol for a headache. If you need it, you should get checked up first. But men often shy away from going to the doctor if they have such a problem.

It wasn't a good experience for her when a GP made her feel embarrassed about the situation two years ago.

The nurse and doctor were loudly asking me why I was there in front of the crowd. I felt humiliated by it.

In contrast, at Noah's service, his condition was kept confidential and as a patient he felt respected. "It's better because the whole world doesn't need to know what I'm doing."

"Difficult Step"

According to the Wall Values ​​survey released in February, a large number of people in india still have conservative views about sex. In this, 67.3 percent people said that sex without marriage or any relationship is not permissible.

According to the Ministry of Education's website, promoting no sex until marriage in school, sex education teaches students traditional values ​​because "a family is the basic unit of society".

Some people have told the BBC that the 'difficult step' of getting sexual health services such as tests or other products from a local doctor without being married can be embarrassing.

Especially women face a lot of problems with this problem. Condoms are commonly available at pharmacies and convenience stores, but it is difficult for women to obtain contraceptives without a prescription.

In this regard, companies like DeerDoc and Noah provide monthly contraceptive pill services and are being welcomed.

With these online services, users can consult licensed doctors virtually.

Startup companies typically identify a gap in the market and then try to fill it with their service. Its importance can be gauged from the widespread use of such a service.

Sean Lowe, Noah's founder, says the company's monthly production rate has been more than 50 percent since it launched in June. Fernie Health's Shay Lowe says her company has seen weekly growth since launching in September.

Young people wanted to be more aware of their sexual health. According to Babes, a teenage pregnancy support service, despite the obstacles, people wanted to take responsibility for themselves.

"They want to ask questions about sex, but only when they're given a safe environment." These digital health-related companies, which deal with sexual health issues, can be a good platform.”

Nadia says that there is no common discussion on this topic, but she knew that timely check-ups are very important. It was also important because they were recently forming a new relationship.

It is important to show responsibility, isn't it? But I know many people who don't because this step was not that easy before.'

Fictitious names are used in this report.