With over 1.8 million followers, the infectoologist Ricardo Kores bet on accessible information to combat disinformation
“Do you know how to make the soil thread safely?”, “Is your sauce in different colors?” And “spiders can also transmit”. With provocative phrases like these, the infectoologist Ricardo Kores resigned the word “viral” and transformed what is usually taboo also in medical offices in a Reception and information space for millions of Brazilians on social networks.
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With 1.3 million Instagram followers and almost 600,000 to Tiktok, Kores is today one of the main voices in the fight against disinformation on sexual transmission infections (IST). The work has acquired relevance between cases: according to the last ministry of the newsletter, between 2020 and 2024, a 24.1% increase has occurred in the HIV registers in the country. In the case of HPV, genital infection reaches more than half of sexually active women and 41.6% of men.
“Today, the meetings begin virtually and also the search for information has changed. People have access to content, but do not put into practice the taboo or the difficulty of accessing treatments and condoms”, explains the doctor a Earth. “IST have not ceased to exist. Some data show stabilization, but in many regions there is growth. This worries the health professional.”
Ricardo warns that vulnerability is even greater among people with less access to education and health, especially in conservative regions and small cities. “In large centers, it is easier to talk about the topic. But inside, where everyone knows each other, generates insecurity. I heard much:” I didn’t go to the post because my mother could find out. “
Resistance, he said, is not just among patients. A large bottleneck is the taboo among the same health professionals. “We have campaigns for hypertension and diabetes, but nobody is ready to take a natural HIV test. Even among health workers there is embarrassment.”
The discomfort also appears when it comes to less discussed sexual practices or marginalized populations. Ricardo, who usually serves LGBTQIA+Public, recalls a case in which he heard about the failure of a professional to offer a guide. “A lesbian patient told me that he asked the gynecologist of women’s care and he couldn’t answer. I explained everything with peace of mind. He said: ‘I am happy that you have this lighter imprint.”
Donut, Spider and Lollipop
This lightness is part of Kores’ communication strategy, but was also born from a limitation. Social networks such as Instagram often limit the scope of content with technical terms of the sexual organs. “So I started using nicknames, such as Donut and Lollipop, who already circulate in a popular language, even between the LGBT community.”
The strategy showed results. “People enter the nets to distract themselves, not to attend the lesson. At least they play and learn.” According to him, the strategy contributes to multiple people looking for a medical service by recognizing the warning signals.
But the lying style also attracts criticism, in an inclusive of doctors. “I receive resistance from conservative wings. They think it’s not the role of the doctor talking about sex or intimate care. They say it is family responsibility. But we know that if it depends only on the family, the risk increases.”
Kores claims that the health professional is ready to listen without judgment. With frightening patients, the central role of the equation is listening to the doctor. “When you listen first to, you can understand sexual practice and drive safely.”
For those who want to start taking more care of sexual health, the doctor strengthens the importance of looking for a trusted professional and filtering well the online content. “There is a lot of professionals worried only for the commitment. Always research if the person is really expert, see if he has a record in The Medical Council.”
Information on the future of health communication, Kores is realistic: “I see many people who want to start this accessible communication strategy. Because they can reach more those who need. But there is still a lot of resistance from the most traditional, even in front of the data. The important thing is that we already have a starting point.”
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
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