By Stephen Beech

Dubious TikTok birth control advice is raising the risk of unwanted pregnancies for young people, warns a new study.

Researchers found that more than half of content creators on the social media platform reviewed (53%) clearly rejected hormonal birth control, while just over a third (34%) expressed distrust in health professionals.

The team analyzed 100 TikTok videos on contraceptive health that had collectively gained nearly five billion views and 14.6 million likes.

Fertility awareness and cycle tracking (38%) and the pill (35%) were the most frequently discussed subjects, according to the findings published in the journal Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health.

Lead researcher Dr. Caroline de Moel-Mandel, of La Trobe University, Australia, says TikTok is a growing source of contraceptive information for young adults, but much of the content was "unreliable" and of poor quality - putting pressure on young people to sort fact from fiction.

She said: "Many TikTok creators promoted natural contraceptive methods like fertility tracking without disclosing their limitations, which include accurately tracking hormone fluctuations, motivation and partner cooperation.

"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."

Only 10 percent of the analyzed videos were created by health professionals, while the rest featured firsthand experiences and beliefs from influencers and general uploaders, or advice from self-proclaimed "hormonal health coaches" or wellness educators with significant reach.

Study co-author Megan Bugden, a lecturer in public health at La Trobe, says that while videos by health professionals gained on average, more likes and followers, TikTok's algorithm amplified influencers' voices with greater reach over medical experts.

She said, "Social media is reshaping health care providers' relationships with patients.

"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."

With TikTok's widespread reach, Megan said women's and public health organisations also have a "significant" role to play in countering misinformation.

She added: "Young people deserve accurate information to make informed contraceptive health decisions, regardless of background or resources.

"Public health organisations should collaborate with social influencers to promote safe and effective contraceptive information through messages that resonate with younger audiences."

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