Psychiatry to
Sexual Medicine

My Journey from Sirsa — 1989

My journey in medicine began in Sirsa in 1989, when I started my professional career in Psychiatry.

For many years, I looked at sexual problems primarily through the lens of a psychiatrist.

I understood the psychological aspects of sexuality — anxiety, depression, performance pressure, relationship difficulties, self-esteem, emotional conflicts and the many ways in which the mind can influence sexual functioning.

There Is Much More

But with increasing clinical experience, I gradually realised something important:

• ✓ A sexual problem could have an Andrology dimension.
• ✓ It could have a Gynaecology dimension.
• ✓ It could have an Endocrinology dimension.
• ✓ It could involve Urology, medicine, diabetes, cardiovascular health, medications, relationships and psychology — sometimes several of these at the same time.

I realised that to understand and treat sexual problems comprehensively, I could not look at them through only one specialty. I needed to look at the whole person — and sometimes the whole couple.

Vivan Hospital for Sexual Health

Over time, this understanding led me to a rather ambitious idea: Why not create a place where different aspects of Sexual Medicine could come together?

I wanted to build a multidisciplinary centre where sexual problems could be evaluated and managed comprehensively rather than being approached from only one specialty.

It was one of the biggest professional decisions of my life. I decided to wind up my established practice in Sirsa and move to Jaipur to pursue this vision. It was not an easy decision. Some of my colleagues and even members of my family were sceptical about the idea. Some doctor colleagues openly questioned the wisdom of my decision. I even heard comments along the lines of: “Sexology is not a white-collar job.”

But I was determined. I believed that Sexual Medicine had a legitimate and important place in modern healthcare — and that there was a genuine need for a multidisciplinary, dedicated Sexual Health Hospital. I decided to take the risk.

Training and Global Exposure

My understanding of Sexual Medicine continued to evolve.

In November 2015, I attended an intensive in-house Sexual Medicine training programme in Budapest, Hungary.

The experience exposed me to a much broader way of looking at sexual health.

It reinforced what my clinical experience had already begun to teach me: Sexual problems rarely belong to one specialty alone. They often sit at the intersection of the physical, psychological and relational aspects of human life.

This experience also helped me prepare for the FECSM examination in Madrid, Spain, which I subsequently cleared with good grades.

For me, the qualification was not simply another credential. It represented another step in a journey that had begun decades earlier in Psychiatry.

More Than a Decade of Learning

Today, more than a decade after establishing Vivan Hospital, I look back at that decision with a sense of fulfilment.

I do not regret leaving the familiar path in Sirsa and taking the risk of building something different in Jaipur.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of meeting thousands of individuals and couples struggling with intimate problems that they often found difficult to discuss with anyone. Some came with a sexual symptom. Some came with anxiety or fear. Some came because their relationship was suffering. And many came after trying to deal with the problem privately for years.

One of the most satisfying parts of this journey has been seeing young couples understand each other better, overcome sexual difficulties and sometimes preserve relationships that were under considerable strain.