On busy Vizag road, ad featuring pic of breasts raises eyebrows. Clinic says ‘will remove if…’
A cosmetic surgery centre in Visakhapatnam sparked online controversy after its ad, featuring what appears to be a photo of bare breasts, went viral online.
A cosmetic surgery centre in Visakhapatnam sparked online controversy after its ad, featuring what appears to be a photo of bare female breasts, went viral on social media. The ad for Dr YV Rao Clinics promotes its hair transplant and cosmetic surgery services through ‘before and after’ pictures.
Dr YV Rao Clinics advertised its services on a police booth in the city of Visakhapatnam. However, one of the pictures used in the advertisement raised eyebrows on social media as viewers wondered why the clinic had made the questionable decision to show female breasts in the public advert.
The picture was shared on Reddit by a user who wrote: “WTF. What did I see.” He said that the ad was on display near SevenHills.
In India, laws around public nudity dictate that exposure of the chest by women in public is illegal. Moreover, it is also considered a severe breach of public decency and social norms. On the other hand, it is socially acceptable for men to go topless, especially in certain places like beaches or water parks.
The picture sparked a heated discussion on Reddit as people debated whether the clinic had messed up or if the picture showed male breasts.
Some Reddit users said that the pic, even if it showed a female, should not be sexualised as it was promoting a clinical surgery.
Clinic’s clarification
A spokesperson for Dr YV Rao Clinics told HT.com that the picture shows male breasts and that the ad was meant to promote gynecomastia reduction surgery.
Gynecomastia is a condition in which males develop enlarged breast tissue, resulting in a more feminine chest appearance.
“It is [an ad for] male breast (gynecomastia) reduction surgery,” the spokesperson told HT.com over email, adding that the clinic would remove the ad if people found it offensive.
“Many people are suffering physically and psychologically with these, so it is an attempt to tell them that there are such facilities. If there is any problem, we will remove them, no problem,” the spokesperson added.