TikTok 'experts' spreading misinformation about birth control

If you are a woman on TikTok, you've almost certainly scrolled to a video of someone commenting about women's contraception and its negative side effects.

They are comments like:

"Birth control is literally one of the worst things you can put in your body as a woman."

"I never have been and I never will be on hormonal birth control."

"Our generation is literally the clinical trial for the pill."

If you search contraception, the pill or IUD in the app, it won't take long before you fall into a void of misinformation and earnest women sharing their experiences or views of different contraceptive options.

Trends include women perusing the very long list of side effects that come with the contraceptive pill (which don't look too different to the papers accompanying other medication), videos where they compare what their body looked like before and after the pill, and a whole series on experiences coming off hormonal contraception.

To be clear, these particular videos aren't being made by health professionals. The creators behind them are influencers, 'naturopaths' and everyday women.

But they are nonetheless compelling and, according to health professionals, pose a serious problem.

Evonne Ong is a GP and medical adviser at the national health advice service Health Direct.

She said that while very little of the content floating around is "intentionally malicious" it is an issue.

"Very common themes that we're seeing about hormonal contraception include side effects and how common certain side effects can be," she said.

"Things like weight gain, acne, it's often a theme that concerns a lot of younger women.

"We also get concerns about future fertility, that being on hormonal contraception can prevent you from becoming pregnant down the line, which again is not something that is supported by clinical evidence."

TikTok algorithm 'rewards engagement'

A study published in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics earlier this year found the majority of videos published on TikTok about birth control were created by non-medical professionals and presented personal experiences.

It also found there is generally a negative sentiment about hormonal contraception, especially the hormonal IUD.

A 2025 study by Latrobe University, which examined 100 videos with nearly 5 billion views collectively, found the information on TikTok undermines patients' ability to confidently make informed decisions.

Half of those videos came from "general uploaders", 15 per cent were from people who called themselves hormone health coaches, and another 15 per cent from self-labelled health educators.

Medical professionals accounted for just 10 per cent of videos.

Lead author Caroline de Moel said the study found that "overall the quality and reliability of the information was poor".

"Around half of the creators explicitly discouraged the use of hormonal contraception,"

she said.

"That includes the pill, implants, injections, hormonal IUDs etc.

"Many promoted so-called 'natural' methods such as cycle tracking, often without explaining the limitations or conditions that are required for them to be effective."

Dr de Moel said while there was no issue with people sharing their personal experiences online, they are case studies, not scientific evidence.

"The problem with TikTok is the content that provokes the most emotional reactions such as fear or anger … they get the most views, comments and shares.

"The algorithm doesn't check if the content is accurate; it just rewards engagement so the most visible content is not the most reliable one."

The study also found that about a third of content creators expressed distrust in healthcare professionals.

Avoiding social media is not the answer

Addressing that is no easy fix, and Dr de Moel says the answer isn't avoiding social media.

In fact, she thinks there's an opportunity for healthcare professionals to spend a little more time creating accurate and engaging content, with the caveat of "if they have time".

"We want their expertise out there; it needs to compete with all the stuff that's not correct," she said.

It's a problem that the federal government has been contemplating too.

Assistant Minister for Health and Women Rebecca White is concerned about the rise of misinformation when it comes to healthcare.

"We see that particularly when it comes to women's healthcare and specifically when it comes to contraceptive care," she said.

"There's a lot of mis and disinformation that is confusing for people as they're making decisions about their contraception choices."

The federal government is hoping its latest initiative will make a difference.

It has partnered with Health Direct to create the Contraception Options Finder.

Spruiked as the first of its kind in Australia, the government says it'll help people determine the best contraceptive options for them, based on evidence, using an "easy-to-take quiz".

"It's designed to provide evidence-based information for men and women and gender diverse people to make decisions about their contraceptive choices," Ms White said.

"It's about making sure they've got the right facts before them, based on what is best for them, for them to then have an informed discussion with their healthcare professional."

Dr Ong, who was involved in developing the tool, said it was created with an Australian audience in mind.

"It gives a really good indication of particularly which medications and options are funded by the Australian government under the PBS and which ones aren't," she said.

"It includes a quiz that will ask more about you, your health needs, your preferences, and give you some options that may suit you and options that may be less suited to you."

And Dr Ong also has a message for women who are getting their healthcare information from social media.

"Go for it but also take what you see with a pinch of salt," she said.

"People are more likely to publish things when they've had a bad experience with them because they want to warn the public.

"They are coming from a place of good intention generally, but it's important to remember that they are only a handful of people.

"People who have had generally really good experiences are perhaps less likely to talk about them on social media."