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Social media health trends are ‘putting women’s lives at risk’, warn experts
Experts have raised concerns over the rise of ‘concerning’ health trends on TikTok and Instagram
Wellness trends are putting women’s lives at risk, experts have said, amid warnings that a growing number of young people are turning to social media for health advice.
Inaccurate health information and hacks like the “period cancelling craze”, which encourages women to consume a combination of jelly powder, lemon juice and ibuprofen to reduce menstrual flow, have taken social media by storm.
There has been an increase in content posted on TikTok and Instagram discussing the alleged dangers of birth control and more and more content creators are sharing their experiences with natural contraceptive methods.
While speaking publicly about certain concerns can help destigmatise taboo women’s health issues, experts have warned that some social media health trends can do more harm than good.
“Social media does not put the health information in the proper context because it is set up for quick and flashy messages,” Georgie Kovacs, women’s health expert and founder of Fempower Health, told Femtech World.
“The algorithm appears to push content that is sensationalised and there is no way to separate influencers from clinicians.
“Even clinicians vary in their views. The ones who seem to be loudest get the most views and followers, but are they the ones keeping up with data? Are they subconsciously riding the wave of their big personality driving followers and likes and shares?”
Karolina Löfqvist, co-founder and CEO of Hormona, said social media trends typically lack any scientific backing, putting women at serious risk of making “ill-informed” decisions about their bodies.
“While influencer content can serve as useful reminders to women that they are not alone and many accounts are committed to sharing only verified information, social media has blurred the lines between expert and non-expert voices, making it harder to separate the truth from the lies.
“Platforms need to take responsibility for their users’ wellbeing by monitoring and flagging misleading or harmful health content that’s veiled as advice, and enforce stricter user guidelines to curb this growing spread of misinformation.”
Research shows young people are more likely to turn to their social media feeds for health advice, which means they are also more likely to discredit accurate health information. Dr Nitu Bajekal, senior OB/GYN and author of Finding Me in Menopause, is particularly worried about this.
“As a senior OB/GYN with nearly 40 years of clinical experience, I am concerned about the misinformation around hormonal contraception and the benefits of natural methods for contraception,” she explained.
“All these myths and misinformation are putting women’s lives at risk, especially because of the increased risk of an unplanned pregnancy. We know pregnancy can be a risky business for many.
“It also denies women with conditions that cause heavy or painful periods, such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids and PCOS, the chance to improve quality of life by being able to regulate their cycles with the pill.
It is all very well for women who are in stable relationships or situations where they can afford to do natural cycle methods or barrier methods with condoms. For the rest of the world, however, having access to effective and safe hormonal and non-hormonal contraceptives remains crucial.”
Hannah Westwood, PhD researcher in the Centre for Postdigital Cultures at Coventry University, said much of the content we see on social media about contraception contains false information, suggesting that hormonal contraceptives are dangerous.
“The promotion of natural contraceptives has risen alongside a backlash against hormonal methods like the pill, patch and injection,” Westwood told Femtech World.
“This trend is worrying because it is encouraging social media users to switch away from their existing hormonal contraceptive method even if it is working for them, to natural methods which may be less effective.
“Natural methods must be carried out properly if they are to work effectively, since conditions such as endometriosis and lifestyle factors such as drinking alcohol can reduce the effectiveness of some of these methods.”
While combating this spread of health misinformation online is difficult, Westwood said it is important that anyone making medical decisions based on information from social media consults a medical professional before making changes.
“Platforms such as Instagram and TikTok need to have more specific guidelines relating to the sharing of health information and take responsibility for addressing the spread of misinformation,” she also noted.
Jamie Norwood, co-founder of sexual health platform Stix, added: “When women don’t have the right information, they could potentially do something harmful to their bodies.
“Now, more than ever, access to medically credible, accurate, and non-judgemental educational content is critical. Sexual education systems are failing us, so women are left to navigate the internet rabbit hole for answers to their most pressing health questions.
“While these trends might seem harmless, we know that young people deserve factual information and tools to navigate their own health.”
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Light exercise and less sitting may reduce pregnant women’s risk of serious blood pressure complications, according to a new study.
Researchers have proposed a daily activity and sleep guide that they say was linked to a nearly 30 per cent lower risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
The suggested pattern includes fewer than eight hours of sedentary time, at least seven hours of light physical activity, around 22 minutes of more intense activity and nearly nine hours of sleep.
The University of Iowa-led study examined the daily behaviours of 470 pregnant women across all stages of pregnancy.
Participants wore monitors that measured physical activity over 24-hour periods and recorded how long they spent asleep.
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy include chronic high blood pressure, gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia.
Gestational hypertension is high blood pressure that develops during pregnancy, while pre-eclampsia is a potentially serious condition involving high blood pressure and signs that organs may be affected.
Sedentary behaviour means being mostly inactive, such as sitting or lying down.
Light physical activity can include casual walking, moving around the home or standing.
Moderate to vigorous activity includes movement such as brisk walking, where breathing and heart rate increase.
Kara Whitaker, associate professor in the department of health, sport, and human physiology at Iowa and corresponding author of the study, said: “We are identifying the optimal composition of movement behaviours across the day associated with the lowest risk of developing HDP and the most improved health outcomes.
“This blueprint holds for each and every trimester of pregnancy.”
Study participants were enrolled at sites in Iowa City, Pittsburgh and Morgantown, West Virginia.
The women wore activity and sleep monitors for at least one week during each trimester of pregnancy.
Four in five participants were non-Hispanic white and nearly a quarter lived in rural areas.
The data showed a steep rise in risk among pregnant women who were sedentary for more than 10 hours a day.
Women who increased light physical activity to at least four hours a day reduced their risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy to 15 per cent from 30 per cent.
Whitaker said: “Just moving around more seems to have significant health benefits.
“And I think it also may be a more feasible target for women who are pregnant who are not exercising regularly.”
The researchers said they were surprised that longer durations of moderate to vigorous physical activity did not appear to provide additional benefit.
Sleep beyond a certain duration also did not appear to bring major further benefits.
Whitaker said: “Through this study, we are providing evidence that reducing sedentary behaviour and engaging in light physical activity are important, and maybe more important, when it comes to pregnancy and health.”
The findings may be relevant beyond pregnancy because clinical research has shown that women who develop hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are more than twice as likely to develop heart disease later in life.
Cardiovascular disease includes conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels, such as heart disease and stroke.
Whitaker said: “We know that cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women, and if we can intervene in pregnancy and prevent women from developing a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, we are putting them on a better trajectory, away from cardiovascular disease and toward more optimal cardiovascular health.”
The study was published online on June 10.
A second study, published online on May 27, looked more closely at the ratio and type of sedentary behaviour and light physical activity linked to a lower risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
Whitaker is a lead co-author on that study.
Co-authors in the June 10 study include Alex Crisp, Jaemyung Kim, Karina Smith, Donna Santillan, Mark Santillan and Bridget Zimmerman, from Iowa; Jacob Gallagher, from Iowa State University; Melissa Jones, from Oakland University in Michigan; Bethany Barone Gibbs, Katrina Wilhite, Alexis Thrower and Iqra Sheikh, from West Virginia University; and Sabera Rahman, Janet Catov, Christopher Kline and Maisa Feghali, from the University of Pittsburgh.
The National Institutes of Health, the University of Iowa Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, the University of Pittsburgh Clinical and Translational Science Institute and the West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute funded the research.
We are excited to reveal the winners of the third annual Femtech World Awards.
The winners were announced at a virtual event this afternoon attended by shortlisted companies, along with sponsors and judges.
The event welcomed guests from the UK, Europe, Asia, Africa and North America.
Thank you to all 174 entries, as well as the sponsors for making the event possible.
See you in 2027!
Femtech World Awards 2026 Winners
Winner:
Shortlisted:
IVI RMA x Juno Genetics
Natural Cycles
Winner:
Highly commended:
U-Ploid
Shortlisted:
Hello Inside
Winner:
WISE HF, led by Prof. Mary Ryder
Highly commended:
Cardiac College for Women
Shortlisted:
Hyvelle Ferguson-Davis
CognitiveCare
Winner:
Highly commended:
Youterus
Shortlisted:
ŌURA
Winner:
Shortlisted:
LeanShield by ParrotPal Group
Perigen
Winner:
Shortlisted:
Body Moody
Looop
Winner:
Shortlisted:
Owning Your Menopause
Womeno
Winner:
Shortlisted:
The Blue Box
Celbrea
Winner:
Shortlisted:
HealCycle
Mor
Winner:
Shortlisted:
HRC Fertility
Mira
Pregnant women’s expectations about postpartum sleep may predict sleep quality after birth, outweighing prior sleep and psychiatric history, a study suggests.
The findings suggest attitudes and beliefs about sleep during pregnancy could be a modifiable risk factor for postpartum sleep concerns.
They also indicate that, among women expecting the poorest sleep, higher postpartum anxiety may further worsen sleep quality.
Sammy Dhaliwal, lead author is clinical health psychologist and research fellow in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dhaliwal said: “Most pregnant women in our sample anticipated poor postpartum sleep before it occurred, and it was striking that those expectations predicted worse sleep outcomes even after accounting for factors such as prior sleep disorders, psychiatric history, and number of previous births.
“This suggests that attitudes and beliefs about sleep during pregnancy may represent a modifiable target for early intervention before postpartum sleep problems emerge.”
Sleep disturbance affects an estimated 60 to 80 per cent of postpartum women and is linked to a higher risk of depression and anxiety.
Researchers said it is often regarded as an expected part of life after childbirth rather than a health issue that may be addressed earlier.
The study enrolled 432 pregnant women at about 24 weeks of gestation, meaning around 24 weeks into pregnancy.
Participants completed measures of their expectations about postpartum sleep, current sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and mood using validated depression and anxiety scales.
Assessments were repeated at six, 12 and 24 weeks postpartum.
A subset of 49 women also wore wrist actigraphy devices at six to eight weeks postpartum.
Actigraphy uses a wearable device, similar to a watch, to estimate sleep and wake patterns based on movement.
The results showed that 70 per cent of pregnant women, or 301 of 432 participants, expected poor sleep in the postpartum period.
Researchers found that predicted sleep disruption during pregnancy was a significant predictor of postpartum sleep concerns.
Among first-time pregnant women without prior health concerns, those who expected greater sleep disturbance had significantly more disrupted sleep after birth, measured by both actigraphy and self-report.
Among women who expected the worst sleep quality, higher postpartum anxiety significantly worsened both measured sleep and self-reported sleep, independent of anxiety levels during pregnancy.
Dhaliwal said the findings point to two possible areas for intervention: addressing sleep-related beliefs during pregnancy and treating postpartum anxiety.
Dhaliwal said: “Postpartum sleep disruption is often treated only after problems develop, but our findings suggest there may be an opportunity to intervene earlier during pregnancy.
“Addressing sleep-related beliefs and postpartum anxiety during prenatal and postpartum care may help improve sleep and emotional well-being in new mothers.”
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