It often begins with a late-night Google search.

A teenager worried about irregular periods types symptoms into a search bar. A parent watches three Instagram reels about fevers before deciding whether to visit a doctor. A young man is trying to find online what’s a good source of protein. 

For millions of Indians today, the first consultation often happens not in a clinic, but on a smartphone.

The internet has transformed the way people access health information. It has made medical knowledge more democratic, more immediate and more accessible than ever before. But it has also created a parallel problem: misinformation now travels as quickly as information itself.

From miracle cures and "detox" remedies to viral videos promising to boost fertility or reverse chronic illnesses, health misinformation has become one of the defining public health challenges of the digital age.

Against this backdrop, a new kind of Indian doctor has emerged — one who wears scrubs in the clinic and creates reels in the evening.

On this Doctors' Day, the stethoscope is increasingly sharing space with ring lights, microphones and editing software.

For many doctors, becoming content creators was never part of the career plan. It became necessary.

Fighting misinformation one reel at a time

Few people understand this shift better than Dr Tanaya Narendra, better known online as Dr Cuterus.

With nearly two million followers on Instagram, the doctor and educator has built one of the world's largest online communities dedicated to women and sexual health.

Her journey into content creation began not because she wanted to become an influencer, but because she was angry.

"I started creating content because I was tired of seeing all the misinformation and active disinformation around women's health," she says.

Instagram was flooded with videos encouraging women to do things that were not medically right.

"Realising that I have the actual qualifications and education to debunk such nonsense, combined with my genuine mental exhaustion — plus a healthy dose........

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