Such as writer Susan • Sontag wrote in Metaphor of Disease that everyone may face the disease, but in thousands of years of culture, some diseases have been labeled, making it difficult for people suffering from the disease to face themselves.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8th, Xiaohongshu Health launched the activity of "It doesn’t matter if there is something wrong", which helped more people to eliminate their sense of shame and anxiety through online topics and practical actions such as knowledge popularization and physical examination of 38 bloggers, and held the "It doesn’t matter meeting", which provided a place for public discussion on the topic of gynecological diseases that was originally shy. It is also to send care to women through the transformation of offline hospitals.
![]()
Susan • Sontag said, it doesn’t matter, the disease is just a disease, not a disaster from heaven, so don’t be ashamed to say it.
And Xiaohongshu also wants to tell you that there is something wrong with it, and it doesn’t matter. Action is the certainty of physical and mental health.
From slogan to action "it doesn’t matter"
China Reproductive Health Research Report 2022 shows that among more than 3,100 women in 31 provinces and cities, 71% have gynecological symptoms such as irregular menstrual cycle, abnormal vagina and leucorrhea, but only 57.5% choose to see a doctor after gynecological symptoms appear.
Most of the shackles of women’s fear of illness and medical treatment come from the metaphorical "shame" and "fear" of illness. In addition, the uncertainty of diagnosis and the worry about future results have also discouraged many patients.
How to liberate from the metaphorical pressure brought by the disease, Susan • Sontag gave the answer: to get rid of these metaphors, we can’t just avoid them, they must be exposed, studied and exhausted.
In the online activity of "There is something wrong, it doesn’t matter", Xiaohongshu invited doctors as white coat friends to promote knowledge and ideas. And encourage more users to share the most authentic medical experience. Promote action with popular science, radiate the whole people from women, and reduce the anxiety and shame of ordinary people about diseases.
At present, there are 210 million exposures and 1.76w notes on the series of topics with # small problems and small methods. In addition to inviting many gynecologists and surgeons such as Dr. @Jojo to conduct popular science on women’s health; Xiaohongshu also launched the # It doesn’t matter action with 38 bloggers for physical examination. At present, many bloggers, such as @ Lahongshang @vivi Keaduo @ Sophie and Azhe, have shared the experience of gynecological examination, which is a name for gynecological diseases. Driven by them, more female users are willing to overcome shame and make changes for their health.
![]()
At the same time, on March 7th, Xiaohongshu also held a "Never mind meeting", inviting female characters from different fields, including doctors, writers, talk show actors, screenwriters and so on, to share their experiences and stories of coexistence with Xiaoxiao.
In gynecological examination, many women will be afraid of pain, and even wonder if they are too "melodramatic". In fact, individuals’ feelings of pain vary from person to person. As Si Wen said, we should respect the threshold of self-pain. Courageously expressing your pain during the examination is also a key step to face up to the disease.
From Online to Offline Friendly Clinic: A Closed Loop of Community Care
In recent years, the popularization of health knowledge is also driving the change of social concepts and promoting the public to face diseases and daily life with a correct attitude.
The fear and shame before seeing a doctor can be dispelled through popular science and experience sharing, but the discomfort in the actual examination is easy to leave a psychological shadow on women.
Ding Ding, director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Huashan Hospital (Baoshan Campus) affiliated to Fudan University, told reporters that in terms of physiology, the discomfort caused by gynecological examination may be the feedback of most people, especially in the first or unfamiliar environment. "Some patients will also tell me that they don’t know what examinations to do, or what items to do in the routine physical examination of gynecology, and how often to do them … …”
It is not difficult to see that, in addition to professional medical advice, women also expect a warm and comfortable medical environment. Based on this, Xiaohongshu linked Ruijin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Huashan Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Fudan University (Baoshan Campus), Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Union Medical College Hospital affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Xiangya Second Hospital of Central South University, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital affiliated to Fudan University (Red House), Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital, Shanghai Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiading Central Hospital, Chengdu Women and Children Central Hospital, Changsha Central Hospital (Red House)
Taking Huashan Hospital as an example, Director Ding Ding revealed that through the warm environment transformation, such as relaxing and encouraging floor stickers, gynecological examination posture wall stickers, "it doesn’t matter doll" decoration, and men’s stop to set up illustrations, we strive to create a "it doesn’t matter, relax and friendly clinic" to alleviate everyone’s fear and worry about gynecological examination and treatment and convey the warm concept of "it doesn’t matter, relax".
![]()
In order to optimize the experience of women’s physical examination, many warm-hearted copybooks have been posted in the waiting area of the gynecological clinic of Huashan Hospital, such as "Don’t worry, the little problems on your body will always get better slowly" and "If you don’t take good care of yourself, just say sorry to your body, and it will definitely tell you that it doesn’t matter."
The examination bed or chair in the clinic is the place where the patient’s fear concentration is the highest. In order to ease the tension, Xiaohongshu United Hospital posted the slogan "Never mind, relax" on the ceiling, "Speak out if you feel uncomfortable, and the doctor will accompany you" and other encouraging slogans.
In addition, for women’s concerns, such as "will gynecological examination hurt?" "How to check the posture?" There are also wall stickers and signs to help patients who enter the clinic for the first time quickly understand how to cooperate with doctors for examination. After the examination, "it doesn’t matter" accompanying dolls, including cute cartoon immune cells, uterus, stomach, etc., will be sent as long-term companionship to bring emotional value to patients.
![]()
It is worth mentioning that all warm-hearted and encouraging slogans come from the notes sharing of real users in Xiaohong Bookstore. In this process, Xiaohongshu realized the real concern for women from online to offline.
According to feedback from many hospitals, these improvements have been well received by many patients, and "fun" and "warm heart" are their most direct feelings. When waiting for treatment, many patients punch in and take pictures next to the floor stickers and wall stickers. A doctor admitted that she saw more patients’ smiles in the reformed clinic.
Xiaohongshu hopes that through the activity of "It doesn’t matter if there is something wrong", the public’s concept of diseases and women’s health problems can be changed, and the social value as a lifestyle platform can be highlighted.
