Many influencers preferred non-hormonal birth control as they considered it to be more natural, having fewer side-effects and being cost-effective (Picture: Unsplash)
According to new research, social media influencers might be putting young people at risk for unexpected pregnancies by spreading false contraceptive advice.
Teenagers and young adults may also be receiving inaccurate information on sexual health, making many of the popular videos a public health issue, according to the study, published in the Health Communication journal.
Researchers analyzed YouTube videos posted by influencers with up to 2.2 million followers and found that viewers would be more likely to receive information about stopping hormonal contraception, than on how to use contraception or have safe sex.
Previous studies suggest that influencers are more persuasive and influential than traditional celebrities, due to their relatability and accessibility, especially among young people.
Influencers slammed for peddling false advice on birth control (Picture: Unsplash)
A team of experts in the US, searched YouTube for videos in which influencers with a following of 20,000 to and 2.2 million, talked about their experiences of contraception.
Out of the 50 videos studied, most of them talked about stopping hormonal birth control, with 92% saying they were using it or had used it and 74% saying they’d discontinued or planned to discontinue it.
The videos were then analyzed to determine the influencers’ attitudes to hormonal birth control, including contraceptive pills, injections and implants, and non-hormonal versions, such as fertility tracker apps and condoms.
Many influencers preferred non-hormonal birth control as they considered it to be more natural, have fewer side effects and be cost-effective.
Some 40% of the influencers said they were using or had used, non-hormonal birth control, with fertility trackers being the most popular.
Tracking cycles may not be as effective at preventing pregnancy as hormonal birth control (Picture: Shutterstock)
However, researchers said that tracking cycles may not be as effective at preventing pregnancy as hormonal birth control.
‘What young viewers don’t see in influencer content is the amount of effort and meticulous planning that goes into tracking cycles,’ said lead author Emily Pfender, calling the popularity of fertility trackers ‘concerning’.
‘For example, to use the cycle tracking method as intended, women must faithfully measure basal body temperature and viscosity of cervical fluid at the same time every day, track cycle lengths to calculate their fertile window and refrain from having sex on specific days of their cycle,’
Finally, a few of the influencers who discontinued a hormonal contraceptive said they’d switched to an alternative method. Just 20% had started a non-hormonal contraceptive and 14% a different hormonal one.
Teenagers and young adults may also be receiving inaccurate information on sexual health (Picture: Unsplash)
‘The discontinuation of hormonal birth control is risky because it increases the likelihood of unplanned pregnancy,’ said Pfender.
‘Influencers’ videos that discourage the use of a highly effective option for birth control and fail to encourage using other forms of protection to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections are a public health issue,’
While the study didn’t delve into who was watching these videos or whether some age groups found them more persuasive than others, the authors believe that influencers’ advice about contraception should be treated with caution.
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Tracking cycles may not be as effective at preventing pregnancy.
