Taking contraceptive advice from social media influencers could lead to unplanned pregnancies: Study - Video

Published On 2023-01-17T17:43:32+05:30 | Updated On 17 Jan 2023 5:47 PM IST

Overview

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.

Reference:

Emily J. Pfender & M. Marie Devlin (2023) What Do Social Media Influencers Say About Birth Control? A Content Analysis of YouTube Vlogs About Birth Control, Health Communication, DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2022.2149091

Speakers

Isra Zaman

B.Sc Life Sciences, M.Sc Biotechnology, B.Ed

Isra Zaman is a Life Science graduate from Daulat Ram College, Delhi University, and a postgraduate in Biotechnology from Amity University. She has a flair for writing, and her roles at Medicaldialogues include that of a Sr. content writer and a medical correspondent. Her news pieces cover recent discoveries and updates from the health and medicine sector. She can be reached at editorial@medicaldialogues.in.