Prevalence and Effect of Misinformation About Birth Control on TikTok

Kaitlyn J. Riggins, University of South Alabama

© 2024 Kaitlyn Riggins ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Abstract

Social media is a crucial part of everyday life. People use social media for various reasons, such as entertainment, connections, and obtaining information. TikTok is one of the biggest social media platforms, and many use TikTok to investigate different topics. Prevalent topics on TikTok are women’s health care and contraceptives. Many videos containing information related to birth control on TikTok contain misinformation, which could potentially lead women to make decisions to avoid contraceptives or health care. This study used content analysis and survey to discover the prevalence of misinformation about birth control on TikTok, common misinformative topics, and whether posts influenced people’s healthcare decisions. This study found that videos containing misinformation about birth control on TikTok are prevalent. The most common misinformative topic about birth control is weight gain. Also, this study found that TikTok posts containing misinformation about birth control influence people’s healthcare decisions. The limitations of this study include lack of sample diversity and omission of other social media platforms. Overall, misinformation about birth control on TikTok can deter women from using contraceptives, and this can be detrimental to public health.