Would you seek contraceptive advice from TikTok?

SBS Australia

3 days ago

"I got the Kyleena coil, like the teeny tiny - and it's so cute - and I was like just put it in me, at this point anything to stop me from being this cray cray girl and they were like okay, we will sort it for you. Went to the clinic and got it done, amazing. You don't even notice that it's there. The insertion was perfect. No pain, I've seen so many people being like 'it's the worst thing don't get it'. It changes your life, it changed my life." "What I wish I knew before getting off hormonal birth control ten years ago. In case you don't know, my name is Evelyn and I'm holistic coach helping conscious women reclaim their bodies and take back control of their hormone health and fertility. So let's get into it, the first thing I wish I knew was that all of the problems that I had prior to going on birth control, like the hormonal acne and really painful periods, were all going to come back, and probably ten times worse than before." The debate on birth control rages on TikTok. "I'm an OBGYN and I'm going to tell you the worst form of birth control. Get ready to take notes, cause you can't miss this. The number one worst form of birth control is, the one that doesn't work for you. So while an IUD may be highly effective - if you don't want it or you don't like it, that's not good for you. Birth control pills work really well if you take them perfectly but if you can't remember how to take a pill every day, that's not going to work for you. The best form of birth control is the one that you want that works for your lifestyle and that you can access." That's Dr Jennifer Lincoln from Portland, in the US state of Oregon, speaking in a 2023 TikTok video. Research by La Trobe University analysed 100 TikTok videos on contraceptive health between August and September 2023 with the hashtags #birthcontrol, #contraception, #thepill, #naturalbirthcontrol and #cycletracking. The researchers acknowledge the study is constrained by limitations including a potential for selection bias, the relatively small sample size, and the inclusion of English-language only videos. Even so, during that period those videos had collectively gained nearly five (4.85) billion views and 14.6 million likes. According to the study, published in the journal Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, only 10 per cent of the videos sampled were created by medical professionals. The researchers found more than half - 53 per cent - of TikTok content creators clearly rejected hormonal birth control, while about a third - 34 per cent - expressed distrust in health professionals. Megan Bugden is the La Trobe report's co-author and a lecturer in public health. She says a lot of the advice given on Tik Tok is based on personal experience and beliefs rather than medical advice or evidence. "So there's a real opportunity for public health practitioners to join these platforms and disseminate accurate, reliable, non-judgemental content that's easily accessible to a huge range of individuals. We need to be partnering with trusted online voices that have this huge reach with young people and ensure that they're getting access to non-biased information that is informing their contraceptive beliefs and therefore then decision making." She adds while videos by health professionals gained on average more likes and followers, TikTok's algorithms amplify influencers' voices, giving them greater reach than it gives medical experts. Ms Budgen says most of the influencers they analysed were explicitly endorsing natural birth control methods, methods known as 'fertility awareness'. "A good example of why these videos are unreliable or what makes them ineffective on their own can be seen in some of the trends that we saw around a growing desire for a hormonal-free form of contraception." But she says the videos failed to disclose any potential limitations, which can include motivation, partner cooperation and biological variabilities. The La Trobe lecturer in public health says what's worrying is that it will mislead a large proportion of young people by over-emphasising the reliability of the method - failing to discuss the potential risks of unplanned pregnancy or STIs. She says social media is reshaping health care providers' relationships with patients. "It's really important that young people understand that a lot of the information online can be misleading or incomplete or biased. And so I would always encourage individuals to think about where the information's coming from. Always ask what could be informing that person's opinion. Has the uploader included any additional resources where you can go and find extra information or any evidence that supports the claims that they're making." The study notes TikTok offers an excellent public health opportunity to disseminate accurate contraceptive information accessible to all individuals, regardless of their background or resources. Ms Budgen says with TikTok's widespread reach, women's and public health organisations also have a significant role to play in countering misinformation. But she urges people to seek credible contraceptive advice - that just because someone says they're a doctor or wears a lab coat, it doesn't mean they can be trusted. "Always ask your medical practitioner as well. Go in and have a discussion around some of the ideas you've seen online and ask how credible they are and how reliable they are, and ask them for evidence. You can always ask your GP for the clinical guidelines relating to any sort of medical recommendation that they're suggesting." TikTok has spoken to SBS News and declined to comment.