Influencers spread dangerous misinformation about birth control

In a viral TikTok, a woman in the emergency room shares a post questioning why so many women in their 30s are struggling with cancer and infertility, and suggests long-term hormonal disruptions from birth control are to blame. Another influencer pokes fun at the FDA inserts that come with birth control, revealing long lists of side effects in videos to humorously use as “blankets” for sleep or as tools to help men understand the harsh realities their partners face so that prevent pregnancy. This TikTok has received 2.6 million likes and 21,000 comments.

Such images exaggerate side effects and spread misinformation that can lead to unwanted pregnancy and other problems. Contraception faces daily attacks on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, where influencers often highlight the supposed dangers of hormonal contraceptives like the pill while urging viewers to stop effective care and return to a more “natural” state.

In the 2023 study As I did with a colleague, 74% of YouTube influencers surveyed who talked about birth control called for an end to birth control. TikTok 2024 Study My team found that nearly 50% of the birth control posts we analyzed promoted the same message: TikTok creators identified 57 purported negative side effects of hormonal contraceptives.

These claims are usually based on personal anecdotes rather than scientific evidence. My last research suggests that when women aged 18–29 perceive an influencer as more trustworthy or experienced, they are more likely to intend to use less effective non-hormonal methods such as fertility tracking, also known as the rhythm method, even though they currently using hormonal contraceptives such as the pill, IUD, implants, vaginal rings and injections. Today, the rhythm method often involves using period tracking apps to determine when they might be most fertile and then abstaining from sex.

As a scientist and a 15-year birth control pill user who has never experienced negative side effects, I was shocked to see this content on my TikTok and Instagram feeds. While I’ve never relied on apps to track my menstrual cycle, I know several people who have, resulting in unwanted pregnancies, including a friend. She was taking birth control pills before using the tracking app, but wanted to find a non-drug alternative. The unplanned pregnancy was a major shock for her and her partner. This scenario can be devastating for a single mother.

These apps, often marketed as “natural” alternatives, are not only unreliable, but also expensive to operate. Fertility thermometers alone can cost up to $300, and a monthly app subscription costs up to $12 per month, while most birth control methods are available for free through insurance and Medicaid.

Although much of the content on social media about birth control is negative, some of it has provoked institutional change. For example, videos describing the painful experience of IUD insertion have received significant attention. Content creators shared their personal stories, comparing the pain to an “explosion of spasms” or a feeling of being “cut or torn apart inside.”

These viral stories have brought attention to the lack of pain relief during IUD procedures, which many doctors underestimate. In response to this protest The CDC recently updated its recommendations recommend offering pain management strategies such as lidocaine for cervical pain, and discourage the regular use of misoprostol, which is recommended only in certain cases. This shows how social media can spark change, but also demonstrates the dangers of misinformation dominating these platforms. For example, reports about IUD insertion assume that all women will experience severe pain, but this is not the case, and this may discourage many women from using effective contraception. As described in a recent New York Times opinion, the CDC directive is a good step forward, but does not go far enough to address women’s health issues.

Beyond birth control, women’s health in general faces serious challenges on social media. Recent research, currently undergoing peer review, suggests that many young women record their facial expressions during Pap smears to convey the discomfort and pain they experience. These videos can often increase anxiety and discourage women from getting the necessary cervical cancer screenings that are already available. decline representatives of different age and racial groups in the United States

To address these issues, physicians and regulators should collaborate with social media influencers to disseminate evidence-based information. Research Matt Motta and his colleagues at Harvard University have shown that such collaboration can counter mental health misinformation on platforms like TikTok. A similar approach should be explored for other aspects of women’s health. For example, health organizations or universities could collaborate with women’s health influencers to combat misinformation about hormonal contraception. Health organizations could create a series of short, engaging videos that debunk common myths about hormonal contraceptives, such as misconceptions about the link between cancer and hormonal contraception. These influencers can be identified through searches conducted during my research.

Social media can bring us many benefits as a tool for promoting health. But we shouldn’t let this modern convenience turn us away from women’s health, perpetuating fear and misinformation instead of empowering informed choices.

Emily Pfender, PhD, is an associate fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, a research fellow at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and a research fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Health Communications. Delaware.