Latest news with #Essity
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Compression Therapy Market worth US$5.9 billion by 2030 with 5.5% CAGR
DELRAY BEACH, Fla., May 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The global Compression Therapy Market, valued at US$4.3 billion in 2024 stood at US$4.5 billion in 2025 and is projected to advance at a resilient CAGR of 5.5% from 2024 to 2030, culminating in a forecasted valuation of US$5.9 billion by the end of the period. The key factor driving the compression therapy market is the increasing prevalence of venous disorders and lymphedema, particularly among the elderly and post-surgical patients. Additionally, the rising rates of obesity and advancements in smart compression devices are further boosting demand in this market. Additionally, the growing prevalence of obesity and the rising number of orthopaedic procedures have increased the demand for compression therapy devices. Obesity leads to circulation problems, and post-surgical patients often need compression therapy to prevent complications and support recovery. Download PDF Brochure: Browse in-depth TOC on "Compression Therapy Market" 400 - Tables100 - Figures400 - Pages By Based on Application, the varicose veins segment is the leading segment of the compression therapy market due to its direct link to the rising prevalence of this condition, especially among aging populations and individuals whose jobs require prolonged standing. Compression therapy effectively alleviates symptoms of varicose veins, such as pain and swelling, by enhancing venous return and reducing pressure in the affected vessels. The growing preference for non-invasive treatments, along with an increasing demand for home-based care options, positions compression therapy as an important therapeutic choice. Additionally, advancements in the design of compression garments, which offer improved comfort and effectiveness, further strengthen its role in this field. By Based on Product, Compression bandages dominate the compression therapy market, particularly due to their essential role in managing venous leg ulcers (VLUs) and early-stage lymphedema during decongestive therapy. Multi-layer systems allow clinicians to tailor pressure levels based on limb circumference changes, making them more suitable than fixed-pressure garments in active wound management. Clinical protocols, such as those recommended by NICE in the UK, prioritize bandage systems for ulcer healing. Companies like Essity (with its JOBST Comprilan and Leukotape product lines) and 3M (offering the Coban 2 Layer Compression System) are key players driving adoption through specialized solutions designed for effective pressure distribution, moisture control, and ease of application. The compression therapy market is experiencing significant innovation, especially with the integration of digital health technologies. These advancements include pressure-sensing systems that provide real-time feedback to both clinicians and patients. Velcro-based adjustable wraps are becoming more popular, enabling users to manage their therapy easily outside of clinical settings, which supports the trend toward decentralized care. Custom-fit solutions, created using 3D scanning or sizing tools, are also gaining traction as they offer better therapeutic outcomes through precise compression. To address challenges related to long-term wear, companies are developing lightweight, breathable fabrics that minimize skin irritation. Additionally, sustainability is becoming a key differentiator, with some companies exploring biodegradable or reusable compression materials to help reduce medical waste. By geography, the US holds a significant share of the compression therapy market for several important reasons. First, there is a high prevalence of chronic venous diseases, such as varicose veins and lymphedema, which creates a consistent demand for compression therapies. Additionally, the aging population contributes significantly to this demand, as older adults are more susceptible to conditions that require these treatments. Moreover, the growing number of orthopedic surgeries and the subsequent need for post-surgical care also drive the market, as compression therapy is commonly used to manage swelling and promote recovery. The US also benefits from a robust healthcare infrastructure, widespread access to specialized care, and favorable reimbursement policies, all of which encourage the adoption of compression therapy. Finally, the presence of major companies, such as 3M and Essity, which are leaders in product innovation and availability, ensures the market's ongoing growth and accessibility. Request Sample Pages : As of 2024, the key players in the compression therapy market are BSN Medical (Germany), medi GmbH & Co. KG (Germany), 3M Company (US), Sanyleg S.r.l. (Italy), SIGVARIS AG (Switzerland), Juzo GmbH (Germany), Lohmann & Rauscher GmbH & Co. KG (Germany), VENOSAN (Switzerland), DJO Global, Inc. (US), Essity AB (Sweden), Smith & Nephew Plc (UK), Medline Industries, LP (US), Gottfried Medical, Inc. (US), Stryker Corporation (US), Össur hf. (Iceland), Mego Afek AC Ltd. (Israel), ConvaTec Group Plc (UK), Cardinal Health, Inc. (US), Spectrum Healthcare (US), THUASNE (France), and Medtronic Plc (Ireland). BSN Medical (Germany): BSN Medical an Essity company, has strengthened its leadership in global compression therapy through innovation, strategic partnerships, and international expansion. The company continues to enhance its market-leading JOBST range by utilizing advanced technologies such as SoftFit for improved comfort and compliance, sensitive top bands for moisture control, and 3D-knitted seamless garments that provide an anatomical fit, like the JOBST Elvarex Plus. BSN has reinforced its market position through acquisitions, such as Wright Therapy Products, and collaborations with companies like Terumo Medical Corporation in Japan and Ortopédicos Futuro in Colombia, which have expanded its distribution reach. Additionally, the integration of BSN Medical India into Essity India and the establishment of manufacturing centers in Goa demonstrate the company's commitment to emerging markets and sustainability. These sites operate globally in alignment with Essity's sustainability framework. Other products, such as JOBST Compri2 and the stylish JOBST UltraSheer, reflect BSN's commitment to both clinical performance and consumer preferences, reinforcing its position as a leader in compression therapy. Medi GmbH & Co. KG (Germany) Medi GmbH & Co. KG is a leading manufacturer of medical compression therapy products. The company is well-known for its wide range of medical compression stockings, orthopedic supports, and wound care solutions. Medi serves both clinical and consumer markets under its key brands, Mediven and Circaid, which focus on venous and lymphatic disorders. Medi has a strong presence across Europe, North America, and Asia, with production facilities in Germany and subsidiaries in over 20 countries. The company prioritizes evidence-based product development and uses advanced materials that combine medical effectiveness with patient comfort. Additionally, Medi invests in patient education and digital solutions to promote long-term adherence to therapy. 3M (US) 3M is a leading player in the compression therapy market, known for its clinically validated products that promote wound healing and support vascular health. The company's compression therapy offerings include cohesive bandages, compression wraps, and multi-layer systems, which are widely used in both hospital and home care settings. 3M has a strong global presence across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Its solutions effectively address conditions such as venous leg ulcers, lymphedema, and chronic edema. The product line features well-known brands like Coban and ActiWrap, which offer consistent pressure delivery and ease of application. These products are primarily marketed through 3M's Medical Solutions division. 3M emphasizes product innovation and strategic collaborations to maintain its competitive advantage. For example, the company has focused on integrating its products with wound care portfolios and pressure mapping technologies to improve clinical outcomes and enhance the user experience. For more information, Inquire Now! Related Reports: Orthopedic Braces & Supports Market Cold Pain Therapy Market OTC Braces & Supports Market Orthopedic Devices Market Orthopedic Implants Market Get access to the latest updates on Compression Therapy Companies and Compression Therapy Market Size About MarketsandMarkets™: MarketsandMarkets™ has been recognized as one of America's Best Management Consulting Firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets™ is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. With the widest lens on emerging technologies, we are proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients across the globe. 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Scotsman
5 days ago
- Health
- Scotsman
Social media more likely to suppress women's health content over men's
It comes as a campaign to end shadow banning on social media has been launched | PinPep Social media platforms are more likely to suppress women's health content over men's, according to the nation's young adults. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A study of 4,000 people found while three quarters of those aged 18-34 are turning to social media to educate themselves about male and female health, many struggle to find what they need. Among users aged 18-24, 34 per cent admit they find it difficult to source information when searching for women's health – something 21 per cent of those aged 25-34 agree with. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It emerged 77 per cent of those aged 18-34 are aware of 'shadow banning' – when a user's content is restricted, decategorised or hidden on a social media platform, limiting reach or engagement. Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook have been found to incorrectly remove content around women's menstrual and sexual health, deeming it as adult content despite use of anatomical terms. Three in 10 young adults spend over five hours a day using it as an essential place to communicate, read and learn more about health topics such as periods, menopause, incontinence and erectile dysfunction. But 33 per cent of those aged 18-24, and 22 per cent of 25-34 year olds are convinced content related to women's health in particular can often be restricted or hidden on social media. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A campaign has been launched to end shadow banning on social media by hygiene and health company Essity, in collaboration with CensHERship, which campaigns for a level playing field for women's health content, and the Period Equity Alliance - a group of charities and education institutions dedicated to ensuring everyone can access the products and education they need so no one is held back by their period. Kate Prince, spokesperson for Essity, the company behind Bodyform and Modibodi, said: 'Social media plays a pivotal role as a resource for young people to educate themselves, research and discuss their health and their bodies. 'But unfortunately for many, unaccountable algorithms that ultimately decide what they do and don't see, mean that young people are being denied access to information that is crucial to understand their bodies and to empower them to seek the help they may need. 'Medically and anatomically correct language related to health should not be censored. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We want to work with social media companies to put this right, and will be calling on the Government to help us find solutions.' The sharing of information about menstrual health comes with censorship challenges | PinPep 'Young people are being denied access to information that is crucial to understanding their bodies' The research, carried out via OnePoll, found 52 per cent of all adults agree shadow banning is appropriate on social media in some instances – in particular, anything which incites violence or abuse (74 per cent), posts which are sexually explicit (67 per cent) and foul and abusive language (55 per cent). However, 45 per cent don't believe any restrictions should be placed on posts containing the correct medical or anatomical words and phrases to describe the human body. While 44 per cent think anyone should be able to publish content related to women's health, for example menstrual health or breast cancer. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And 41 per cent agree essential information about men's health should be available for people to view – such as content relating to erectile dysfunction or prostate cancer. Just under eight in 10 adults (77 per cent) said words like 'vagina' or 'periods' should not be restricted on social media when used in an educational context. And among those who use social media, 29 per cent of those aged 18-24, versus 28 per cent of those 25-34, would like to see more information posted on social media about periods. However, the sharing of information about menstrual health comes with censorship challenges, as period product brand Bodyform has experienced. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Spokesperson Nuria Antoja said: 'Bodyform has been at the forefront of breaking barriers around menstrual health but it has not been without its challenges. 'Our advertising on some of the most popular social media platforms has been frequently held back after triggering automated censorship. Often this is simply because we have used words like period or vagina. 'If we're serious about breaking taboos and encouraging conversations about women's health that in some instances can save lives, then we've got to have the freedom to have open discussions on social media without censorship.' The study found health and wellbeing content on social media is most consumed by the 25-34 year old age group – with 55 per cent seeking out information on things like mental health, sex, cancer, menopause and periods. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This age group is also most likely to post information about health and wellbeing on social media, as 30 per cent share such content. However, 34 per cent of 25-34 year olds who are aware of shadow banning, and who post either personally or for business, are convinced content they have posted has been restricted in some way. Of these, a fifth were trying to share information about women's health - 27 per cent about general health and wellbeing. Just under eight in 10 adults said words like 'vagina' or 'periods' should not be restricted on social media when used for educational purposes | PinPep 'Women deserve better' Influencer Charlotte Emily, who has amassed 91.6k followers on Instagram through her honest content around self love, periods and endometriosis is no stranger to censorship via this platform. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She said: 'I've noticed a significant difference in engagement with my content when I discuss topics often considered 'taboo' - specifically women's health, periods, or body image struggles - despite these being important and everyday conversations that shouldn't be seen as controversial. 'A few years ago, content visibility was particularly limited if I used words like 'period' instead of euphemisms like 'time of the month' or 'Aunt Flo'. 'While things have definitely improved since I first started speaking openly about women's health online, I still find that these posts don't get pushed out as widely as my more light-hearted fashion or lifestyle content.' Clio Wood, co-founder of CensHERship (corr), which aims to tackle social media censorship of women's health and sexual wellbeing content, said: 'Social media is such a powerful and engaging way for people to learn about their health - and the knowledge being shared can help break down taboos and in some cases be lifesaving. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'But our own data shows that too often it's women's health content that is restricted or removed because it is incorrectly classified as 'adult content' simply for referring to a female body part. 'This is a broken system and women deserve better - they deserve equal, uncensored access to health information about their bodies.'
North Wales Live
23-05-2025
- Health
- North Wales Live
Social media giants 'more likely to suppress women's health content over men's'
A survey of 4,000 individuals revealed that while three quarters of those aged between 18 and 34 use social media for information on both male and female health, many struggle to find what they're looking for. Among users aged 18-24, 34% admit they find it challenging to source information on women's health – a sentiment echoed by 21% of those aged 25-34. It was found that 77% of those aged 18-34 are aware of 'shadow banning' – when a user's content is restricted, decategorised or hidden on a social media platform, limiting reach or engagement. Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook have been found to incorrectly remove content around women's menstrual and sexual health, classifying it as adult content despite the use of anatomical terms. Three in 10 young adults spend over five hours a day using social media as an essential place to communicate, read and learn more about health topics such as periods, menopause, incontinence and erectile dysfunction. However, 33% of those aged 18-24, and 22% of 25-34 year olds believe content related to women's health can often be restricted or hidden on social media. Essity, a hygiene and health firm collaborating with CensHERship campaign for equal treatment of women's health content on social media and the Period Equity Alliance, has launched a campaign to end shadow banning. They aim to ensure that everyone, especially young individuals, has access to the necessary products and education about periods without being held back. Kate Prince, spokesperson for Essity, makers of Bodyform and Modibodi, said: "Social media plays a pivotal role as a resource for young people to educate themselves, research and discuss their health and their bodies. But unfortunately for many, unaccountable algorithms that ultimately decide what they do and don't see, mean that young people are being denied access to information that is crucial to understand their bodies and to empower them to seek the help they may need." According to her: "Medically and anatomically correct language related to health should not be censored." Furthermore, she emphasised: "We want to work with social media companies to put this right, and will be calling on the Government to help us find solutions." OnePoll conducted a study revealing that while 52% of adults concur that shadow banning is sometimes appropriate on social media, this is mainly when content could incite violence or abuse (74%), contains sexually explicit material (67%), or uses foul and abusive language (55%). However, 45% of people believe there should be no restrictions on posts using correct medical or anatomical terminology to describe the human body. 44% believe anyone should have the freedom to publish content related to women's health, such as menstrual health or breast cancer. 41% agree that essential information about men's health, like erectile dysfunction or prostate cancer, should be readily available for viewing. Nearly eight out of ten adults (77%) believe words like 'vagina' or 'periods' should not be restricted on social media when used in an educational context. Among social media users, 29%t of those aged 18-24 and 28% of those aged 25-34 would like to see more information about periods posted on social media. However, sharing information about menstrual health comes with its own censorship challenges, as experienced by period product brand Bodyform. Spokesperson Nuria Antoja stated: "Bodyform has been at the forefront of breaking barriers around menstrual health but it has not been without its challenges. "Our advertising on some of the most popular social media platforms has been frequently held back after triggering automated censorship. Often this is simply because we have used words like period or vagina. If we're serious about breaking taboos and encouraging conversations about women's health that in some instances can save lives, then we've got to have the freedom to have open discussions on social media without censorship." Research has disclosed that content on health and wellbeing is predominantly explored by those aged 25-34 – with 55% searching for information regarding mental health, sex, cancer, menopause, and menstrual cycles. It's this demographic that's also the most active in disseminating health and wellbeing information online, with 30% sharing such insights. Nonetheless, a notable 34% of 25-34 year olds cognisant of shadow bans, be it personal or for work posts believe that their content has been curtained in some form. Of these individuals, one in five had endeavoured to circulate information pertaining to women's health while 27% encompassed general health and wellbeing topics. Charlotte Emily, a noted influencer with an impressive following of 91.6k on Instagram, is no stranger to such covert suppression. The social media personality remarked: "I've noticed a significant difference in engagement with my content when I discuss topics often considered 'taboo' - specifically women's health, periods, or body image struggles - despite these being important and everyday conversations that shouldn't be seen as controversial. "A few years ago, content visibility was particularly limited if I used words like 'period' instead of euphemisms like 'time of the month' or 'Aunt Flo'. While things have definitely improved since I first started speaking openly about women's health online, I still find that these posts don't get pushed out as widely as my more light-hearted fashion or lifestyle content." Clio Wood, co-founder of CensHERship (corr), which aims to challenge social media censorship of female health and sexual wellbeing content, commented: "Social media is such a powerful and engaging way for people to learn about their health - and the knowledge being shared can help break down taboos and in some cases be lifesaving. "But our own data shows that too often it's women's health content that is restricted or removed because it is incorrectly classified as 'adult content' simply for referring to a female body part. This is a broken system and women deserve better - they deserve equal, uncensored access to health information about their bodies."
Scotsman
23-05-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
Social media more likely to suppress women's health content over men's
Social media platforms are more likely to suppress women's health content over men's, according to the nation's young adults. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A study of 4,000 people found while three quarters of those aged 18-34 are turning to social media to educate themselves about male and female health, many struggle to find what they need. It comes as a campaign to end shadow banning on social media has been launched | PinPep Among users aged 18-24, 34 per cent admit they find it difficult to source information when searching for women's health – something 21 per cent of those aged 25-34 agree with. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It emerged 77 per cent of those aged 18-34 are aware of 'shadow banning' – when a user's content is restricted, decategorised or hidden on a social media platform, limiting reach or engagement. Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook have been found to incorrectly remove content around women's menstrual and sexual health, deeming it as adult content despite use of anatomical terms. Three in 10 young adults spend over five hours a day using it as an essential place to communicate, read and learn more about health topics such as periods, menopause, incontinence and erectile dysfunction. But 33 per cent of those aged 18-24, and 22 per cent of 25-34 year olds are convinced content related to women's health in particular can often be restricted or hidden on social media. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A campaign has been launched to end shadow banning on social media by hygiene and health company Essity, in collaboration with CensHERship, which campaigns for a level playing field for women's health content, and the Period Equity Alliance - a group of charities and education institutions dedicated to ensuring everyone can access the products and education they need so no one is held back by their period. Kate Prince, spokesperson for Essity, the company behind Bodyform and Modibodi, said: 'Social media plays a pivotal role as a resource for young people to educate themselves, research and discuss their health and their bodies. 'But unfortunately for many, unaccountable algorithms that ultimately decide what they do and don't see, mean that young people are being denied access to information that is crucial to understand their bodies and to empower them to seek the help they may need. 'Medically and anatomically correct language related to health should not be censored. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We want to work with social media companies to put this right, and will be calling on the Government to help us find solutions.' The sharing of information about menstrual health comes with censorship challenges | PinPep 'Young people are being denied access to information that is crucial to understanding their bodies' The research, carried out via OnePoll, found 52 per cent of all adults agree shadow banning is appropriate on social media in some instances – in particular, anything which incites violence or abuse (74 per cent), posts which are sexually explicit (67 per cent) and foul and abusive language (55 per cent). However, 45 per cent don't believe any restrictions should be placed on posts containing the correct medical or anatomical words and phrases to describe the human body. While 44 per cent think anyone should be able to publish content related to women's health, for example menstrual health or breast cancer. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And 41 per cent agree essential information about men's health should be available for people to view – such as content relating to erectile dysfunction or prostate cancer. Just under eight in 10 adults (77 per cent) said words like 'vagina' or 'periods' should not be restricted on social media when used in an educational context. And among those who use social media, 29 per cent of those aged 18-24, versus 28 per cent of those 25-34, would like to see more information posted on social media about periods. However, the sharing of information about menstrual health comes with censorship challenges, as period product brand Bodyform has experienced. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Spokesperson Nuria Antoja said: 'Bodyform has been at the forefront of breaking barriers around menstrual health but it has not been without its challenges. 'Our advertising on some of the most popular social media platforms has been frequently held back after triggering automated censorship. Often this is simply because we have used words like period or vagina. 'If we're serious about breaking taboos and encouraging conversations about women's health that in some instances can save lives, then we've got to have the freedom to have open discussions on social media without censorship.' The study found health and wellbeing content on social media is most consumed by the 25-34 year old age group – with 55 per cent seeking out information on things like mental health, sex, cancer, menopause and periods. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This age group is also most likely to post information about health and wellbeing on social media, as 30 per cent share such content. However, 34 per cent of 25-34 year olds who are aware of shadow banning, and who post either personally or for business, are convinced content they have posted has been restricted in some way. Of these, a fifth were trying to share information about women's health - 27 per cent about general health and wellbeing. Just under eight in 10 adults said words like 'vagina' or 'periods' should not be restricted on social media when used for educational purposes | PinPep 'Women deserve better' Influencer Charlotte Emily, who has amassed 91.6k followers on Instagram through her honest content around self love, periods and endometriosis is no stranger to censorship via this platform. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She said: 'I've noticed a significant difference in engagement with my content when I discuss topics often considered 'taboo' - specifically women's health, periods, or body image struggles - despite these being important and everyday conversations that shouldn't be seen as controversial. 'A few years ago, content visibility was particularly limited if I used words like 'period' instead of euphemisms like 'time of the month' or 'Aunt Flo'. 'While things have definitely improved since I first started speaking openly about women's health online, I still find that these posts don't get pushed out as widely as my more light-hearted fashion or lifestyle content.' Clio Wood, co-founder of CensHERship (corr), which aims to tackle social media censorship of women's health and sexual wellbeing content, said: 'Social media is such a powerful and engaging way for people to learn about their health - and the knowledge being shared can help break down taboos and in some cases be lifesaving. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'But our own data shows that too often it's women's health content that is restricted or removed because it is incorrectly classified as 'adult content' simply for referring to a female body part.
Wales Online
23-05-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
Social media giants 'more likely to suppress women's health content over men's'
Social media giants 'more likely to suppress women's health content over men's' A study of 4,000 people found nearly three quarters of those aged 18-34 are turning to social media to educate themselves about male and female health, but many struggle to find what they need Social media platforms are more likely to suppress women's health content. (Image: PinPep ) A survey of 4,000 individuals revealed that while three quarters of those aged between 18 and 34 use social media for information on both male and female health, many struggle to find what they're looking for. Among users aged 18-24, 34% admit they find it challenging to source information on women's health – a sentiment echoed by 21% of those aged 25-34. It was found that 77% of those aged 18-34 are aware of 'shadow banning' – when a user's content is restricted, decategorised or hidden on a social media platform, limiting reach or engagement. Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook have been found to incorrectly remove content around women's menstrual and sexual health, classifying it as adult content despite the use of anatomical terms. Three in 10 young adults spend over five hours a day using social media as an essential place to communicate, read and learn more about health topics such as periods, menopause, incontinence and erectile dysfunction. However, 33% of those aged 18-24, and 22% of 25-34 year olds believe content related to women's health can often be restricted or hidden on social media. Essity, a hygiene and health firm collaborating with CensHERship campaign for equal treatment of women's health content on social media and the Period Equity Alliance, has launched a campaign to end shadow banning. They aim to ensure that everyone, especially young individuals, has access to the necessary products and education about periods without being held back. Kate Prince, spokesperson for Essity, makers of Bodyform and Modibodi, said: "Social media plays a pivotal role as a resource for young people to educate themselves, research and discuss their health and their bodies. But unfortunately for many, unaccountable algorithms that ultimately decide what they do and don't see, mean that young people are being denied access to information that is crucial to understand their bodies and to empower them to seek the help they may need." According to her: "Medically and anatomically correct language related to health should not be censored." Furthermore, she emphasised: "We want to work with social media companies to put this right, and will be calling on the Government to help us find solutions." OnePoll conducted a study revealing that while 52% of adults concur that shadow banning is sometimes appropriate on social media, this is mainly when content could incite violence or abuse (74%), contains sexually explicit material (67%), or uses foul and abusive language (55%). Article continues below However, 45% of people believe there should be no restrictions on posts using correct medical or anatomical terminology to describe the human body. 44% believe anyone should have the freedom to publish content related to women's health, such as menstrual health or breast cancer. 41% agree that essential information about men's health, like erectile dysfunction or prostate cancer, should be readily available for viewing. Nearly eight out of ten adults (77%) believe words like 'vagina' or 'periods' should not be restricted on social media when used in an educational context. Among social media users, 29%t of those aged 18-24 and 28% of those aged 25-34 would like to see more information about periods posted on social media. 77% said words like 'vagina' or 'periods' should not be restricted on social media. (Image: PinPep ) However, sharing information about menstrual health comes with its own censorship challenges, as experienced by period product brand Bodyform. Spokesperson Nuria Antoja stated: "Bodyform has been at the forefront of breaking barriers around menstrual health but it has not been without its challenges. "Our advertising on some of the most popular social media platforms has been frequently held back after triggering automated censorship. Often this is simply because we have used words like period or vagina. If we're serious about breaking taboos and encouraging conversations about women's health that in some instances can save lives, then we've got to have the freedom to have open discussions on social media without censorship." Research has disclosed that content on health and wellbeing is predominantly explored by those aged 25-34 – with 55% searching for information regarding mental health, sex, cancer, menopause, and menstrual cycles. It's this demographic that's also the most active in disseminating health and wellbeing information online, with 30% sharing such insights. Nonetheless, a notable 34% of 25-34 year olds cognisant of shadow bans, be it personal or for work posts believe that their content has been curtained in some form. Of these individuals, one in five had endeavoured to circulate information pertaining to women's health while 27% encompassed general health and wellbeing topics. Charlotte Emily, a noted influencer with an impressive following of 91.6k on Instagram, is no stranger to such covert suppression. The social media personality remarked: "I've noticed a significant difference in engagement with my content when I discuss topics often considered 'taboo' - specifically women's health, periods, or body image struggles - despite these being important and everyday conversations that shouldn't be seen as controversial. "A few years ago, content visibility was particularly limited if I used words like 'period' instead of euphemisms like 'time of the month' or 'Aunt Flo'. While things have definitely improved since I first started speaking openly about women's health online, I still find that these posts don't get pushed out as widely as my more light-hearted fashion or lifestyle content." Article continues below Clio Wood, co-founder of CensHERship (corr), which aims to challenge social media censorship of female health and sexual wellbeing content, commented: "Social media is such a powerful and engaging way for people to learn about their health - and the knowledge being shared can help break down taboos and in some cases be lifesaving. "But our own data shows that too often it's women's health content that is restricted or removed because it is incorrectly classified as 'adult content' simply for referring to a female body part. This is a broken system and women deserve better - they deserve equal, uncensored access to health information about their bodies."
