ArticlePerspectives on sexual and reproductive health2025
"Do You Know What Birth Control Actually Does to Your Body?": Assessing Contraceptive Information on TikTok.
Article in Perspectives on sexual and reproductive health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed.
- Beyond the hashtag: a content analysis of #womenshealth posts on Instagram.Health promotion international · 2026Article
- Adolescent Hormonal Contraceptive Use in the Context of Brain Development and Depression Risk: A Review and Considerations for Future Research.Biological psychiatry global open science · 2026Review
- 'For my own safety and peace of mind': views on contraception among young emergency contraception users: a qualitative study in Swedish pharmacies.Reproduction & fertility · 2026Article
- Current Body Mass Index Is Associated with Reported Weight Gain as a Reason for Discontinuing Oral Contraceptive Pill Use.Obesities · 2026Article
- Hormonal contraception and mental health: a narrative review of screening, monitoring, and patient-centered care for family physicians.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Review
- Use of health information from social media and health self-efficacy: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- "Do You Know What Birth Control Actually Does to Your Body?": Assessing Contraceptive Information on TikTok.Perspectives on sexual and reproductive health · 2025Article
- Quality and reliability of Chinese short videos on TikTok related to chronic renal failure: cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- The Patient, the Provider, and the TikTok Creator: Qualitative Analysis of the Content and Quality of Videos on Prenatal Genetic Screening.Journal of midwifery & women's healthArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionSocial media platforms have rapidly become key sources of contraceptive health information, shaping the beliefs and behaviors of individuals of reproductive age. Yet, it has become increasingly difficult to distinguish accurate content from misleading information, potentially leading to higher unintended pregnancy rates. Given the limited insights into the quality and reliability of contraceptive information on TikTok, this cross-sectional study aimed to systematically evaluate popular TikTok content on contraception created by various users to identify and analyze misinformation.
methodBetween August and September 2023, we analyzed 100 videos from the top five hashtags related to contraception methods (#birthcontrol, #contraception, #thepill, #naturalbirthcontrol, and #cycletracking) to assess the characteristics of the health information presented and their quality, using the DISCERN tool.
resultsThe TikTok videos collectively received 4.85 billion views. Only 10% were created by medical professionals. Overall, the content showed poor reliability and quality, indicating a prominent presence of contraceptive health misinformation. Furthermore, there was a concerning trend favoring natural contraceptive methods over hormonal options, often without appropriate risk disclosures, accompanied by a growing distrust in health professionals. DISCUSSION: The rise of contraceptive misinformation on social media is re-shaping patient-provider relationships and impacting contraceptive beliefs. TikTok offers an excellent public health opportunity to disseminate accurate contraceptive information accessible to all individuals, regardless of their background or resources. To address the observed distrust in health professionals, it is essential to improve contraceptive care quality and promote shared decision-making, which would likely increase satisfaction with contraceptive choices and mitigate negative narratives online.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.