Is femtech becoming a TikTok trend? Here’s what the experts think

With almost 40 per cent of Gen Zs turning to TikTok for online searches, there is no surprise the video-sharing platform has become the go-to app for many seeking medical advice.

Women’s health content has reached an all-time high on TikTok. The dancing app that became a social media sensation during lockdown is now a source for millions of women looking for online support and advice.

With 57 per of the app’s active users female, tags like #IVF or #infertility have amassed billions of views and tech-savvy content creators have boosted their social media presence.

One huge advantage that TikTok has over other big social media players is the audience, says Sian Thomas, digital media executive at the digital marketing agency Bronco.

“Almost half of all users are under 30, meaning that they are the prime audience for topics such as fertility, pregnancy and general women’s health.

“For too long, women have been treated differently by health professionals. Now, TikTok’s unique algorithm has the ability to make sure their voices are heard.”

Harriet Knock agrees. The social media influencer, who works for the motherhood app Tinto, says the app’s audience reach seems limitless.

“It has potential to reach a vast amount of people in a short space of time – look at how fast a video can go from being posted, to being viral and then shared all over the world.

“It’s, what I would say, is the most popular app amongst young adults. It is accessible to everyone and anyone, no matter your age, background, location or financial status.

“There is so much power in that sense of community and TikTok allows millions of women to connect with, and discover, one another.”

Normalising historically taboo conversations is one of the reasons why Gen Zs and millenials prefer TikTok.

Journalist and women’s health advocate, Emilie Lavinia, says it does a great job at taking the fear, anxiety and shame out of discussing intimate health.

“What were once difficult conversations to have, are now much easier to deliver and process because the formats TikTok favours are upbeat and fun.”

However, she warns that misinformation along with a lack of detail and context could be an issue.

“We have to bear in mind that TikTok wasn’t created to be a democratic educational hub for women’s enrichment.

“You could be responsible for misinformation and direct harm to another person. A lack of citations and sources and unqualified people giving advice can be a huge issue. People are spreading myths based on outdated or cherry-picked data or just wild unsubstantiated claims.

“In a perfect world, we wouldn’t have to use limiting social networks built by tech bros to educate women and girls about health.

“But the best use of TikTok I’ve seen is doctors and educators using the platform to promote other communities and apps that have been specifically built to improve women’s lives.”

TikTok developers say they recognised the need for access to useful educational content and, as a result, in May 2020, they announced the initiative #LearnOnTikTok.

Although this brought more household names, media publishers, educational institutions and professional experts to the app, it has not solved TikTok’s wider misinformation problem.

Take for example mental health support, one of the most popular health searches. With one in five adults in the US affected by mental illness each year, credible content is key.

However, in analysing 500 TikTok videos tagged #mentalhealthtips, research found that a staggering 83 per cent of the mental health guidance was misleading at best.

Jenny Saft, CEO and co-founder of the fertility benefits Apryl, says while there is a growing appetite for straight-talking, transparent and accessible women’s health advice online, a vast amount of content posted on TikTok is not professionally verified.

“This ultimately leads to misinformation landing in people’s laps, which is at best misleading and at worst could put people at risk.

“It can be tricky to navigate the sheer depth of information online. That’s why it’s crucial to check your source, and seek advice from a registered and reliable health professional before making any important decisions related to your health.”

Sian Thomas, the digital media executive, says it’s the responsibility of health companies and creators to ensure that any advice they share is in line with any guidelines or regulations in their country.

“It’s important to remember that, while there are accounts who are run by medical professionals who are sharing valuable, useful content, there are also a lot of people who don’t have the education to provide genuine health advice.

“We’ve all seen the results of trends gone wrong on TikTok, albeit that these are more extreme examples, but these should serve as warnings to sharing advice that could potentially be contrary to medical advice or even harmful to health.

“TikTok health content should be best used as a way of bringing awareness to taboo topics rather than providing solutions to individuals.”