Dr Feelgood’s three most memorable radio calls

IN HER 25 years on radio, Dr Feelgood has answered thousands of embarrassing questions from inquisitive Aussies about sex and their bodies, but three calls in particular stand out in her mind.

Dr Feelgood’s three most memorable radio calls

IN HER 25 years on radio, Dr Feelgood has answered thousands of embarrassing questions from inquisitive Aussies about sex and their bodies, but three calls in particular are more memorable than the others.

Dr Sally Cockburn first appeared on the wireless in 1990 when a radio producer patient of hers was looking for a medical expert for a new show.

Dr Feelgood (the medical board didn’t allow her to use her real name on radio) was a hit and just three years later she landed her own national show, Pillowtalk, on the Austereo network where she took calls from worried members of the public.

“It all centres around, ‘Am I normal?’” said Dr Feelgood to news.com.au about the typical questions she receives on radio.

“It’s basically people seeking confirmation or reassurance that what they’ve got isn’t bad or how they look isn’t wrong or what they’re doing isn’t harmful.”

So which moments really stand out in her mind?

OCTOBER 6, 2003 : New Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott speaks to Dr (Doctor) Sally Cockburn at the Junction Medical Centre in East Hawthorn in Melbourne, 06/10/03. Pic Klley Barnes. Victoria / Medical

“One of the most useful calls was a young girl who rang up and said that all of her friends were bragging about how they’d had sex and she was just 16,” said Dr Feelgood.

“So she thought, ‘Well I’d better go out and do it’. So against her better judgment she went out and ‘got with a guy’ and then she went back to school and told her friends that she had had sex and all of her friends said, ‘Ewww, you slut, we were lying’. And I just thought it really put it all in perspective.”

Her second most memorable moment took place in the 1990s when she was joined in the studio by a gay couple who had been together for 23 years.

“We did a show on ‘everything you’ve wanted to ask about gay sex but were too afraid to ask’,” recalled Dr Feelgood.

“I remember this guy rang up and said, ‘I’m worried I might be gay ... I’ve got a girlfriend, but I’ve got this urge to have anal sex with her. Does that make me gay?’

“Both the gay couple and I said, ‘Of course it doesn’t’, but what was beautiful was this exchange between this guy who, if you saw him in a bar you would have thought he was homophobic, having this really open discussion with these two gay men and it was wonderful to hear.”

And thirdly, Dr Feelgood is particularly proud of a woman she spoke to on air over a six-month period.

n31mc999 Australia Day breakfast at Kingston City Hall (6/10) Guest speaker Sally Cockburn entertained the crowd

“It was woman who rang in to say she was in a dysfunctional and potentially violent relationship,” said Dr Feelgood.

“She said her partner was in the police force and she tried to leave him and he said, ‘You won’t be able to, I’ll be able to find you’.

“Over a period of months we talked to her about places to go, people to talk to and she eventually left this guy and she rang to say thank you for the support she got from the show.”

If you have a question for Dr Feelgood, you can still chat to her on her 3AW radio show each Sunday, but here’s some basic advice for free.

“If you’ve got a medical issue that you’re worried about, don’t be afraid to chat to your doctor,” she said.

“We’ve seen it all before. If you don’t know which doctor to go to, ask your friends, or, when you ring the practise, ask the manager which doctor you should speak to.

“If it’s a relationship issue, you should have a discussion when you’re not emotionally charged. Discuss it as if your relationship is a business that you’ve both contributed to and there are issues with the business.

“Remember, relationships should feel good. If it doesn’t feel good, it’s worth looking at why and what’s really best for you.”

If you need to speak to someone confidentially, you can call LifeLine on 13 11 14 or visit au.reachout.com.