Concerns over TikTok birth control content
Bridget Fitzgerald: Spend a couple of minutes on social media and you'll be bombarded with lots of opinions about birth control.
Opinion: Is it true that the birth control pill? You know, the other thing about birth control too, this is crazy. I've been off birth control for a week and a half after being on it for 15 years. I don't know who needs to hear this, but you do not need a break from your birth control.
Bridget Fitzgerald: And much like any other medical topic, most of it is based on thoughts and feelings rather than science. Dr Sara Whitburn is the medical director at Sexual Health Victoria.
Dr Sara Whitburn: I think social media is there to validate people's experiences. However, when we're talking about contraception choice, we often talk about broad ranges of experiences and basing that in evidence and trying to give people both the pros and the cons of contraception.
Bridget Fitzgerald: She says young people are using social media to learn about contraception.
Dr Sara Whitburn: It is now being used as a search engine and it's now how people get their information. So I'm certainly not against using social media to get information, but I think it's about thinking about our digital literacy and also about how we assess or interact with things that are on social media.
Bridget Fitzgerald: In a recent study published in the journal Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, an analysis of 100 TikTok videos found 53% of them rejected the use of hormonal birth control. The most frequently discussed topics were fertility awareness and cycle tracking, followed by videos about the pill. Dr Caroline de Moel is the lead researcher.
Dr Caroline de Moel: Much of the information provided by the uploaders were based on personal experiences and beliefs, and they contained non-medical advice rather than medical evidence.
Bridget Fitzgerald: Dr de Moel says often when content creators promote natural methods of birth control, such as cycle tracking, they failed to point out their limitations or that if used alone, they're often ineffective. She says about a third of videos analysed expressed broad distrust in medical professionals and with the health system.
Dr Caroline de Moel: It is an alarming trend. People sort of choose to distrust their health professionals and look for TikTok instead for health information. And that's quite worrying.
Bridget Fitzgerald: But broad concerns about the effects of hormonal contraception are not just isolated to social media. Professor Danielle Mazza is the director of the Sphere Centre of Research Excellence in Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health in Primary Care.
Prof Danielle Mazza: Increasingly, there's a lot of misinformation appearing on social media of all kinds. And it corresponds with a trend towards decreasing use of hormonal contraception, particularly by young women, which is a worldwide phenomenon and quite a scary one in terms of health outcomes for women.
Bridget Fitzgerald: Danielle Mazza says it isn't exactly clear why women are turning away from hormonal birth control, but it's associated with a lack of information and broader distrust in medicine, and it increases the risk of unplanned pregnancy. She says despite the trend, things like the pill or IUDs are largely safe.
Prof Danielle Mazza: They've been used by millions of women around the world for many, many years now. And these products have a range of benefits and some risks. And it's very important for women to receive person-centred care, which takes into account their individual needs and individual health profiles when deciding on what form of contraception is best for them. And the best place to do that is with a healthcare professional that is highly trained to deliver this kind of care.
Bridget Fitzgerald: And for those that prefer social media, just check the source. Dr Sara Whitburn says there's plenty of medical and expert content out there with good advice.
Dr Sara Whitburn: Sexual Health Victoria and some GPs and University of Melbourne have some really great evidence-based TikToks to try and support people to find information in a place that is comfortable and useful for them.
Andy Park: Dr Sara Whitburn from Sexual Health Victoria, ending that report by Bridget Fitzgerald.
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