YouTube Social Media Influencers Promote Inaccurate Birth Control Content, Study Finds
Most influencers on YouTube are promoting the discontinuation of hormonal birth control and promoting inaccurate medical information, according to a recent study.
Unplanned pregnancies could result from adopting social media influencers’ contraception advice, according to new research, which found the content largely inaccurate and incomplete.
Researchers from the University of Delaware discovered that YouTube searches presented information about discontinuing birth control rather than safe sex or contraception. The study was published in Health Communication and highlights how for some young adults, social media has become a main source of sexual health knowledge.
This study was conducted to understand trends present in conversations on birth control by influencers creating YouTube vlogs, as little research on sexual health messages in social media has been analyzed. The study focused on non-hormonal modalities such as the Daysy device and app. The app tracks and monitors fertility, cycles, and health, and claimed to be 99.4% accurate by founders; this claims was later found to be false due to flawed methodologies and therefore dubious conclusions.
For the study, researchers used “birth control experience” and “Daysy” for keyword search terms on videos uploaded between December 2019 to December 2021; 50 YouTube videos with a minimum of 20,000 subscribed viewers were included in the final sample.
Video selection depended upon factors such as keywords, date of post, number of subscribers, and type of video. Influencer characteristics were composed of influencer category, subscribers, marital status, and children; categories included lifestyle, fitness, and other (eg beauty, fashion, news personality).
Four stratifications were created to illustrate follower counts for influeencers: “mega” or “super” influencers (>1 million followers), “macro” influencers (100k-1 m), micro-influencers (5k-100k), and “nano” influencers (<5k). “Macro” influencers made up most of the study sample (54%, n= 27), and influencers in this sample were predominately married (38%, n=19) without children (42%, n = 21).
Out of the 3 types of influencers, lifestyle influencers had the highest likelihood of referring to birth control use (72%, n = 36).
Investigators used the lens of framing theory to analyze how birth control information was being presented and how appealing it might be to viewers considering current trends such as mental health and wellness (physical as well as emotional/mental, spiritual, social, and intellectual). They took particular note if the communication emphasized natural family planning.
Vlog characteristics were separated into use of hormonal birth control, hormonal birth control types, reasons for liking hormonal birth control, use of non-hormonal birth control, non-hormonal birth control types, reasons for liking non-hormonal birth control, reasons for discontinuing hormonal birth control, outcomes from discontinuing hormonal birth control, switched to another hormonal birth control, and switch to non-hormonal birth control.
Alarmingly, 94% of influencers were using or had used hormonal birth control, and 74% stopped or planned to stop using it.
Even though stopping hormonal birth control increases the probability of unintended pregnancy, influencers were still more likely to frame discontinuation of hormonal birth control in a positive light, possibly leading the audience to associate hormonal birth control with more unfavorable ramifications.
Almost three quarters of influencers (74%) spoke about stopping birth control and described marginally more positive (53.18%) than negative effects of discontinuation, like mood improvement (18%), energy increase (14%), libido increase (10%), and more.
Reported negative effects included worsened acne (22%), cycle irregularities (14%), stomach pain (12%), and more.
Mental health concerns while on hormonal birth control were cited for about a third of the reasons for stopping by influencers, even though the link between depression and hormonal birth control is found to be ambiguous. The discussion of mental health as reasoning for stopping birth control could discourage young audiences from exploring hormonal birth control because of the high significance of mental health to younger viewers, the authors said.
Of the 40% of influencers who favored non-hormonal birth control, most preferred cycle tracking through an app or basal thermometer. Influencers, the study found, favored non-hormonal birth control because it assists in preventing pregnancy (22%), allows a more natural method (16%), generates fewer side effects (4%), and is cost effective (2%).
The emphasis on natural family planning could promote misunderstanding by viewers, the researchers said.
Reference
Pfender EJ, Devlin MM. What do social media influencers say about birth control? A content analysis of YouTube vlogs about birth control. Health Commun. Published online January 16, 2022. Doi:10.1080/10410236.2022.2149091
Warning Over Social Media Birth Control Advice That Could Lead To Pregnancies
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)Influencers may be putting young people at risk of unwanted pregnancies by spreading false advice, research has found.
Inaccurate information is being spread on channels hosted by people with millions of followers.
They’re telling people about stopping hormonal birth control rather than how to use contraceptives, according to a study published in the journal Health Communication.
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)YouTube videos seen by hundreds of thousands of people show influencers discussing 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 analysed 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 and fertility trackers were 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.
Lead author Emily Pfender said: ‘What young viewers don’t see in influencer content is the amount of effort and meticulous planning that goes into tracking cycles.
‘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)Pfender added: ‘The discontinuation of hormonal birth control is risky because it increases the likelihood of unplanned pregnancy.’
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.
MORE : ‘We medically gaslight women’: The fight for pain relief during contraceptive coil fittings continues
MORE : Amazon limits purchases of Plan B and other emergency contraceptive pills
Get your need-to-know latest news, feel-good stories, analysis and moreTaking Contraceptive Advice From Social Media Influencers Could Lead To Unplanned Pregnancies
Contraceptive advice from social media influencers could be putting young people at risk of unplanned pregnancies, new research warns.
Teenagers and young adults may also be receiving inaccurate information on sexual health, making many of the popular videos a public health issue, the study, published in the journal Health Communication concludes.
Researchers analyzed numerous 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, rather on how to use contraception or have safe sex.
Previous studies suggests that influencers are more persuasive and influential than traditional celebrities, due to their relatability and accessibility. Young people see them as being highly trustworthy, with young women saying that influencers can seem like close sisters.
YouTube influencers are particularly likely to give out personal information—something that's known to strengthen bonds with followers.
To learn more, a team of experts from the University of Delaware in the US searched YouTube for videos in which influencers with at least 20,000 followers talked about their experiences of contraception.
They identified 50 videos posted between December 2019 and December 2021 by influencers with between 20,000 and 2.2 million followers.
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.
Findings showed most of the influencers 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 influencers' main reasons for stopping it were the desire to be more natural and to improve their mental health. However, the connection between depression and hormonal birth control is still unclear say the researchers.
Some 40% of the influencers said they were using, or had used, non-hormonal birth control, with fertility trackers the most popular method.
Reasons given for liking non-hormonal birth control included it helping prevent pregnancies, being more natural, having fewer side-effects and being cost-effective.
The popularity of fertility trackers is concerning, says lead author Emily Pfender, of the Department of Communication at the University of Delaware—who describes some of the information as "potentially harmful,".
"Tracking cycles may not be as effective at preventing pregnancy as hormonal birth control," she says.
"Additionally, what young viewers don't see in influencer content is the amount of effort and meticulous planning that goes into tracking cycles.
"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, 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.
"The discontinuation of hormonal birth control is risky because it increases the likelihood of unplanned pregnancy," adds Ms. 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 against pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections are a public health issue."
Limitations of the study include a lack of information about who is watching the videos, whether some age groups find them more persuasive than others and if the keywords used to search for the videos picked up all the relevant examples.
The authors conclude that while social media can be a valuable source of information, young people should treat influencers' advice about contraception with caution.
"Getting sexual health information from social media gives young adults the opportunity to get peer perspectives and seek out relatable information," says Ms. Pfender, "It is an especially good way for underrepresented groups such as LGBTQ+ young adults to get tailored sexual health information.
"It is important, however, that young people critically evaluate the health information they receive on social media and the source of the information.
"They should be skeptical of taking a one-size-fits-all approach to health based on the information we find online."
More information: Emily J. Pfender et al, What Do Social Media Influencers Say About Birth Control? A Content Analysis of YouTube Vlogs About Birth Control, Health Communication (2023). DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2022.2149091
Citation: Taking contraceptive advice from social media influencers could lead to unplanned pregnancies (2023, January 16) retrieved 2 February 2023 from https://medicalxpress.Com/news/2023-01-contraceptive-advice-social-media-unplanned.Html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
