TikTok has become a go-to source of reproductive health information for many young adults, but not all the advice being shared is accurate or reliable.
New research from Dr Caroline de Moel-Mandel and Ms Megan Budgen has explored this worrying, and potentially harmful, trend.
“Social media platforms, especially TikTok, have become increasingly popular sources of reproductive health information for young adults, offering anonymous, readily accessible and seemingly relatable content,” she says.
“However, while videos on contraceptive choice and use attract billions of views, much of this content is misleading, incomplete, or biased.”
Dr de Moel-Mandel and her colleagues analysed 100 of the most popular TikTok videos about contraception. Together, these clips had nearly 5 billion views and 14.6 million likes.
They found that most videos featured personal stories from influencers or general users, or advice from non-medical professionals, such as self-proclaimed ‘hormone coaches’ and ‘wellness educators’.
Many promoted so-called natural birth control methods and shared negative experiences with the contraceptive pill, without evidence to support their claims. In fact, more than half of the content creators explicitly rejected hormonal contraception and a third expressed distrust in health professionals.
“All videos scored poorly for reliability and quality,” says Dr de Moel-Mandel. “Much of the advice was based on personal beliefs rather than medical evidence.”
She says that the study raises concerns that this kind of content may be influencing young people’s beliefs and decisions about contraception and potentially increasing the risk of unplanned pregnancies.
“As TikTok’s influence continues to grow, it is becoming increasingly challenging for young adults to distinguish credible health information from misleading content,” Dr de Moel-Mandel says. “This poses a serious public health concern.”
