– Dr. Athiwat Songsiriphan –
Many women with gynaecological issues may recognise Dr. Athiwat Songsiriphan, or “Dr. Win,” from his TikTok channel. He is a urogynecologist, specialising in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery at the Women’s Health Centre at BNH Hospital. While his specialised field may sound complicated, it addresses common problems that women often face as they get older, such as vaginal looseness, uterine prolapse, and urinary incontinence. However, solving these specific issues for women isn’t his only goal; he has an even greater passion to pursue on this path.
A Grand Dream from a Young Age
“Since I was in high school, I’ve wanted to do something for others. I didn’t have to be a doctor; I could have been anything.”
Dr. Win once wanted to be an engineer like his father, but a new passion that arose during his final years of high school led him to medicine. This passion took him from Bangkok to Khon Kaen.
Adapting to his new environment at the Faculty of Medicine at Khon Kaen University was not difficult for medical student Win. He used football to build relationships with new friends from all over the country. However, he had to adjust his study habits significantly. In medical school, understanding alone isn’t enough; you also have to memorise things well, which was not his strength. But after putting in the effort and finding a way to memorise, he succeeded.
“When I was in my sixth-year hospital rotation, I met real patients for the first time. I got to take care of them and solve their problems. I actually liked many fields, but when I had my first rotation in obstetrics and gynaecology, I knew right away, ‘This is it. It’s the perfect fit for me.’”
Dr. Win loved working in the OB-GYN department because the work was so varied. He cared for new mothers, pregnant women, and even delivered babies, in addition to treating gynaecological issues like irregular periods and period pain.
“When I started specialising in OB-GYN at Srinagarind Hospital in Khon Kaen, there was a urogynecology professor who was my idol. He made me love this field from my student days. I started working on assignments in this area, tried to attend academic conferences related to it, and planned to specialise in it right from then.”
Dr. Win also recognised that as Thailand enters an aging society, many women will face problems related to urogynecology. His work, therefore, is crucial in addressing this issue. After completing his specialisation in obstetrics and gynaecology, he received a scholarship from Srinagarind Hospital to pursue his planned subspecialty in urogynecology at Chulalongkorn Hospital.
“I enjoyed learning. It was something I loved, so I understood it well and learned quickly. After that, I became interested in new things, like laser technology and other innovations, to help my patients. I sought out this knowledge outside of my normal studies.”
Dr. Win has been working at BNH Hospital for less than a year. Unlike other doctors who worked here on a part-time basis before becoming full-time, he came directly into his role. However, his first impression was the warm, family-like atmosphere. The team of doctors and staff were friendly and went out of their way to help him, a new team member. This made him feel comfortable enough to chat with them and consult with them about patient cases.
Urogynecology and Family Relationships
“Have you ever heard that not being able to have sex can break up a family? For example, some women feel their uterus has prolapsed, making them lose confidence and not want to have sex with their partners. These issues can be discussed, but in Thailand, these matters are often overlooked and swept under the rug. This prevents the problems from being solved until they become family issues. Sometimes, it’s too late.”
One of Dr. Win’s patients was a mother who had problems with vaginal looseness after childbirth. She decided to go to a clinic to have it corrected, but the result was that her vagina was stitched up so tightly that intercourse was impossible. The clinic that performed the procedure refused to correct it, leading to family problems and divorce. She became a single mother. Even though she is not in a relationship now, the small size of her vagina made her feel guilty towards her son, who had to grow up without a father. When she came to see Dr. Win for another gynaecological issue, she spoke to him about this problem. He helped her with a corrective surgery that took only 20 minutes but resolved a mental block she had for many years.
In another case, a woman under 30 had pain and burning every time she had intercourse, to the point that she couldn’t have sex with her husband, which led to family problems. She went to many doctors but was only given antibiotics, with no one able to identify the cause of her pain. The medication didn’t solve her problem until she came to Dr. Win, who diagnosed her with chronic vaginal inflammation and vaginismus. This condition, caused by infection, dryness, or other reasons, leads to inflammation. When the brain senses pain, it orders the pelvic floor muscles to constrict constantly, making penetration impossible. Dr. Win treated her for six months, and today, her problem is resolved. She has been able to save her marriage and is now planning to have a child.
“In urogynecology, I am mainly impressed with the relational aspect of it. Only looking at the body may not be enough. There can be psychological indications for these cases. And these small issues can indeed lead to much bigger problems.”
But providing complete care for a patient also means addressing other related diseases that affect their gynaecological problems. For example, frequent urination can be a symptom of diabetes. A doctor must understand other related diseases, and at BNH Hospital, there are a full range of specialists. If there’s a problem, he can consult or refer the patient for integrated care.
This comprehensive care, which addresses physical, mental, and relational issues—and any other problems the primary physician identifies—is in line with BNH Hospital’s Complete Care policy.
A Male Doctor and Women’s Bodies
“There will always be some obstacles because some women feel shy. But I have to admit that as a man, I can discuss these issues from both a male and a female perspective, which leads to more holistic care and solutions that work for both men and women.”
Dr. Win describes himself as somewhat of a feminist, and he is very gentle when discussing women’s issues or performing physical examinations, which require extra care.
“I deal with issues that are difficult to talk about in Thai society. Some patients may be ready to talk to someone, but for those who are still on the fence, we have to take the time to build their trust and get them comfortable. On the first visit, I’ll have some small tricks, like telling them to try something at home to see if it helps their symptoms. On the next visit, they might bring their partner. We give them the opportunity to speak openly. If it doesn’t happen in one visit, we build on the relationship on the next visit. This gives them more chances to talk.”
With his specialised knowledge, Dr. Win can accurately diagnose his patients’ symptoms and predict their emotional state. Many patients leave thinking, “How did the doctor understand me so well?” This is the first door that allows patients to open up to a male doctor and get straight to the point of their health issues.
Chatting with the Doctor
‘Chatting with the Doctor’ is the name of Dr. Win’s TikTok channel, which presents health-related content in a podcast-like format. He and other doctors sit down and discuss health problems, physical symptoms, their causes, and how to care for and prevent them. One day, Dr. Win decided to try live-streaming to follow the trend.
“The first time I went live, no one watched. But when I put a headline that said, ‘I’m a urogynecology specialist. If you urinate often or can’t hold it, come watch,’ thousands of people showed up. On the day with the highest viewership, there were over 60,000 people.”
One of the classic problems for women in middle age and beyond is urinary incontinence. Even a slight trigger, like a cough or a sneeze, can cause a small amount of urine to leak out. As a specialist in this field, Dr. Win decided to focus his content on this issue, giving initial self-care advice to patients who may have difficulty seeing a doctor or who have minor problems.
“This group sometimes doesn’t even need to come to the hospital. If we can give them the knowledge and advice on how to care for themselves at home, it can significantly reduce the burden on Thailand’s public health system. Millions of people have this condition. This is something I’m already doing, and it makes me feel that my work in urogynecology is valuable. My initial motivation to do this was to make the knowledge I have as useful as possible.”
Sometimes, when his live streams receive a lot of attention, the comments come in so fast that he can’t keep up. He provides his Line contact information so viewers can contact him directly. Each day, he receives about 10 consultation requests just from his online community. Some of these cases aren’t just physical problems but affect their mental health and quality of life. Dr. Win listens to them and offers his perspective to help them change their outlook on life. He doesn’t get anything from these cases except the joy of helping society, as he intended since he was a child.
“You make others want to be a doctor.” This was one of the thank you messages from a patient that made Dr. Win realise he was on the right path.
“I see being a doctor as just a part of my life. I have a bigger goal of making society better. My medical knowledge can be built upon. I’m slowly moving in that direction. Before, I only provided care face-to-face; now, I use social media to create a community. I make people’s lives better, give them encouragement and strength, and solve some of their problems without them having to see me.”
What he is doing now is a step towards the great future he dreams of. As a man who understands women, he wants to create a community to drive social issues related to women, such as domestic abuse, family violence, or gynaecological problems that are still difficult to access treatment for.
“If we can make access to treatment easier or prevent diseases early on, it could have a significant impact on society and reduce public health problems. I want to be a small part of making Thai society better.”
However, being a doctor, running a clinic, being a content creator, and offering encouragement and answering questions from his viewers has made Dr. Win’s daily schedule so packed that he has little time for himself.
“My patients also tell me to get some sleep. Before, my life was quite extreme, and I used a lot of life energy. Some days I would work all night to finish a task. The consequence was poor health. Even if I slept for 8-10 hours to make up for it, it didn’t help.”
Even though Dr. Win’s life goals are big enough for him to devote himself to them, his body eventually sent a signal that he couldn’t keep going. This forced him to reorganise his time and become more disciplined. He now goes to bed at midnight and wakes up at 6 a.m. In the morning, he tries to exercise and take care of himself by eating well. He also schedules activities appropriately and tries to combine them to use his time as efficiently as possible.
“For example, I would do a live stream on TikTok while exercising. I would then talk about topics related to exercise, giving advice on exercise and weight control for patients with gynaecological issues, and invite the viewers to exercise with me. There were tens of thousands of people watching.”
“I want the people who come to see me to leave with positive energy and the strength to live their lives. Being a doctor helps people, but social media has allowed me to increase my value by doing things for a greater number of people to achieve my larger goal of changing society.”
Today, Dr. Win has not yet reached his dream of creating a huge macro-level change, but along the way, he is dedicated to making small but significant changes for some people. The thank you messages from his patients tell him he is on the right path and give him the strength to continue following the passion he has had since before he became a doctor.
ATHIWAT SONGSIRIPHAN, M.D.
Women Health Centre
Specialty
OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY, FEMALE PELVIC MEDICINE AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY
Language
Thai, English
– OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY
– FEMALE PELVIC MEDICINE AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY
– DIPLOMATE, THAI BOARD OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY
– DIPLOMATE, THAI SUB-BOARD OF FEMALE PELVIC MEDICINE AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY
– M.D., FACULTY OF KHON KAEN UNIVERSITY, THAILAND
Doctor’s Schedule
| Day | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | 08:00 – 17:00 | Women Health Centre |
| Wednesday | 08:00 – 17:00 | Women Health Centre |
| Sunday | 08:00 – 17:00 | Women Health Centre |