Parents have enough worries when it comes to sex and the internet – porn and pedophiles being chief among them. Now we can add sex education, especially if your child is getting that education from the web, and the information being disseminated is coming from a place of bias.
TikTok is a popular social media app that allows networkers to host and share short videos. It’s often used by people wanting to show off their talents in anything from comedy to lip-syncing. It’s also favored by religious groups, like the Amish and Mennonites, who view the app as an opportunity to give young people a fun glimpse into what their way of life is about. For example, there’s one popular TikTok video showing a young Amish girl riding a horse and buggy while Lil’ Nas X’s “Old Town Road” plays in the background.
Then there’s Nurse Holly. Nurse Holly is a 24-year-old TikTok creator who has a whopping 1.7 million followers. In her videos, she wears scrubs and a stethoscope, and she is purportedly a real medical professional. There’s no reason to believe she isn’t (one website says she attended the nursing program at Palm Beach Atlantic University). Holly has used her TikTok account to give out health advice and to talk about how religion factors into her life. She uses the hashtags #jesus and #jesussaves, and she posted a video in which she claimed that “a whole lot of Jesus” can help with stress and anxiety.
Photos: @nursehollyofficial, Instagram
It’s not surprising (nor is it problematic) that, considering her religious leanings, Nurse Holly supports abstinence. Holly got into trouble, however, when she posted a video in which she claimed that “the best way to prevent STD’s is waiting for sex until marriage.” It’s “just the truth,” she said.
Now, a slew of health professionals are speaking out against the video, which has since been deleted due to the backlash. Here is a copy of it that was reposted to Twitter.
if i go to get tested and the nurse tell me i should have waited till marriage SOMEONE is getting knocked tf out pic.twitter.com/cVnNENVIBi
— margo ♍︎ (@dumbbitchmargo) January 10, 2020
Other nurses on TikTok have said that even though abstinence is indeed a good way to avoid contracting STD’s, Nurse Holly is “irresponsible” for promoting her message as medical advice, without providing information about other ways in which young people can protect themselves. They say Holly has done a disservice to her followers by not talking about condom use or getting tested frequently. Yes, abstinence works, they say – but that doesn’t mean people can’t have all the sex they want, while at the same time protecting themselves.
“It’s unprofessional,” said Nurse Sarah, another RN on TikTok, in a message to Nurse Holly. “And your bias goes against the nursing code of ethics.”
So tired of nurses acting a fool on their large platforms. Promoting irresponsible and biased rhetoric regarding public health in an effort to go viral is so low and so so dangerous. Abstinence teaching does not equate to safe sex. So here’s my response 🤷🏻♀️ pic.twitter.com/vTlX5KbvCK
— Sarah, RN (@shesinscrubs) January 12, 2020
“Nurse Holly is wrong,” commented another user. “The only way to ensure you never have any STD’s is to never have sex of any kind…which is unreasonable for most people.”
“Best way to prevent a flu is to live in an isolation chamber,” said another person.
“While abstinence is a valid way to prevent the spread of STIs, more comprehensive education on the full spectrum of options available is important,” said yet another TikTok user. “STOP SHAMING PEOPLE.”
Nurse Holly told BuzzFeed she wanted to tell her young female followers that “there can be benefits of saving sexuality for one partner.”
“In the comments I acknowledged that of course using protection will help prevent STDs if one is sexually active,” Nurse Holly said. “I just wanted to present another option to my young audience.”
“I understand that my voice will not be accepted by many as it’s an unpopular view. This video was simply created with the intention of helping little girls see that saving sex for one partner may have certain benefits.”
Nurse Holly TikTok — Sources
Mommyish
BuzzFeed
Washington Examiner
Nurse Holly Official TikTok