10 - Breaking down health taboos: Dr Karan Rajan on hormones, myths and patient power

The Dr Louise Newson Podcast

Dr Louise Newson

Health & Fitness, Mental Health, Medicine

4.8 • 798 Ratings

🗓️ 3 June 2025

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

'Haemorrhoids is one of those embarrassing problems that a lot of people suffer from. There's a lot of taboos surrounding it, because people don't want to own up that they've got haemorrhoids. A lot of people listening or watching this probably have haemorrhoids, they're probably sitting on them right now. That video is not a sexy topic, but it got over 2 million views... that is a huge amount of people that I could see across 100 clinics, and still not get to that number.' In this week’s episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Dr Karan Rajan, a doctor, health educator, and host of the Dr Karan Explores podcast. With millions of followers across his social media platforms, Dr Karan showcases the power of social media to ‘de-taboo the taboo’, tackling topics including menopause, women’s health, and bowel issues. He stresses the harm caused by shame and silence, reminding us that ‘taboo should not be associated with any disease or condition’. A passionate advocate for accessible, jargon-free medical education, Dr Karan believes that everyone deserves to feel confident in understanding and managing their own health. Together, he and Dr Louise challenge persistent myths, like the notion that testosterone is a male-only hormone – exploring how such misconceptions reinforce outdated ideas that negatively impact patient care. They also address how misinformation, stigma and a one size fits approach to medicine creates barriers to care, particularly in women’s health such as menopause and endometriosis. This episode explores the evolving role of medical educators, and is a call for more open, informed conversations – because great medicine should never settle for ‘good enough’. Watch on YouTube We hope you love the new series! Share your thoughts with us on the feedback form here and if you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. Email [email protected] with suggestions for new guests! Disclaimer The information provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dr Louise Newson or the Newson Health Group. LET'S CONNECT Website: Dr Louise Newson Instagram: The Dr Louise Newson Podcast (@drlouisenewsonpodcast) • Instagram photos and videos LinkedIn: Louise Newson | LinkedIn Spotify: The Dr Louise Newson Podcast | Podcast on Spotify YouTube: Dr Louise Newson - YouTube CONNECT WITH DR KARAN Website: Dr Karan Rajan Instagram: Dr Karan Rajan (MRCS MBBS BSc) (@drkaranrajan) • Instagram photos and videos LinkedIn: Dr Karan Rajan | LinkedIn Spotify: Dr Karan Explores | Podcast on Spotify YouTube: Dr Karan - YouTube

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, I'm Dr Louise Newsom and welcome to my podcast. I'm a GP, menopause specialist and founder of the free balance app.
0:12.0	My mission, to break the taboos around women's health and hormones, shining a light on the issues we've been too afraid to talk about.
0:20.6	From contraception,
0:21.9	sex and testosterone to menopause-related addictions and beyond, we're covering it all. I'll also
0:29.0	be joined by experts and inspiring guests, sharing insights and real stories, as well as
0:34.6	answering your questions and tackling the topics that matter to you the most.
0:41.1	So I've been speaking to Dr Karen on my podcast. He is an author, he's a doctor, he's a medical
0:47.8	educator and he's also a podcaster for Dr Karen Explores. I've met him before, but actually this conversation was even better.
0:56.7	We talk about responsibilities of being educator. We talk about the joys and the
1:01.6	thrills actually of educating people so they can make decisions that are right for them about their
1:07.2	conditions. We talk about lots of things, how medicine is sometimes a bit institutionalised
1:13.8	and how we need to be the best advocates we can for our patients.
1:17.9	It's a great conversation, so enjoy it.
1:24.5	So Dr. Karen, you are in my podcast studio, whereas last time I was like in your suit somewhere
1:31.1	else, wasn't I?
1:31.9	I know.
1:32.4	Thank you so much for having it.
1:33.2	It's a really nice, comforting place to be this is.
1:36.3	Yeah.
1:37.3	Well, you know, I love doing podcasts.
1:39.9	I don't know about you, but it's a real privilege to meet other people and have a bit of time
1:45.6	because we're all busy.
	...

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