TikTok birth control advice putting young people at risk, study shows

A team from La Trobe University’s school of psychology and public health on Tuesday released their findings from a study into the most popular posts about birth control on TikTok, mapping how shoddy health information spreads on the platform.

Fifty-three per cent of creators rejected or advised viewers not to take hormonal birth control, and a third made clear their distrust of health professionals.

Only 10 of the 100 videos analysed were made by certified health professionals, with the vast majority coming from everyday users sharing their personal experience or influencers pushing their views on fertility awareness, cycle tracking and the contraceptive pill.

A cohort of “hormonal health coaches” and wellness educators also muddied the conversation, producing 30 per cent of the videos.

Study lead Caroline de Moel-Mandel said in her research paper that health professionals needed to intervene on these platforms to “increase satisfaction with contraceptive choices and mitigate negative narratives online”.

Dr de Moel-Mandel said she first became interested in analysing the content on TikTok after seeing her two daughters seeking out health information on the platform.

“There’s a lot of misinformation out there and I just wanted to know what actually is happening,” she told The Australian.

@makenziehb_ How to make cycle tracking accurate as a form of birth control! This is super inportant. Women empowerment is being the CEO of our bodies 🫶🏼 #birthcontrol #hepaticadenoma #postbirthcontrolsyndrome #hormonehealth #hormonehealth #naturalcycles ♬ original sound – makenziehb_

“A lot of doctors tend to focus on safety and effects of contraception, whereas currently a lot of young people want to go back to nature and don’t want to use hormones in their body anymore.

“If that is not well addressed they tend to go to TikTok.”

Social media users, especially teenagers, were more likely to feel uncomfortable asking friends, family or medical experts about their reproductive health, Dr de Moel-Mandel said.

“The TikTok algorithm also comes into play. The more you look at those negative experience videos, the more you tend to receive them, and that then confirms your beliefs.

“Many TikTok creators promoted natural contraceptive methods like fertility tracking without disclosing their limitations, which include accurately tracking hormone fluctuations, motivation and partner co-operation.

“Importantly, they failed to mention that these methods are generally ineffective when used on their own. This kind of misinformation, combined with a growing distrust in healthcare professionals, can result in unsafe decisions and, ultimately, unplanned pregnancies.”

The study provided an opportunity for public health experts to modernise sex education practices and work with influencers to raise the quality of online health advice, she argued.

“There is a real need to improve the quality of contraceptive and other health information that is available online – not only on TikTok but also on other social media platforms,” Dr de Moel-Mandel said.

“TikTok, because of (its) widespread reach, gives a really good opportunity for health professionals to disseminate accurate contraceptive education information and make that very relatable.”

The study, published in peer-reviewed journal Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, looked at the 100 most popular videos from August and September 2023 on the five most used and relevant hashtags – #birthcontrol, #contraception, #thepill, #naturalbirthcontrol, and #cycletracking – to create their study set. The videos had a collective 14.6 million likes and almost five billion views.

@elishacovey #birthcontrol #dating #relationship ♬ original sound – ElishaCovey

Study co-author Megan Bunden said videos from health professionals, when available, gained far more traction than those from unqualified influencers.

“We encourage health professionals to rebuild trust through shared decision-making on contraceptive options, which may increase patient satisfaction and mitigate unreliable information posted online,” she said.

“Young people deserve accurate information to make informed contraceptive health decisions, regardless of background or resources.”

Of the videos analysed, 60 per cent were American, 16 per cent came from the UK and 11 per cent were Australian. 99 per cent were made by women, of whom 79 per cent were white and 58 per cent were millennials.

Almost 70 per cent of TikTok users fall within the peak reproductive age bracket of 18 to 34 years.