DENVER —Young adults turning to TikTok for sexual health information are being confronted with misinformation, according to research presented during the American Academy of Pediatrics 2025 National Conference & Exhibition at the Colorado Convention Center from Sept. 26-30.
The research, titled "Digital Misinformation and Public Health: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Sexual Health Content on TikTok," sought to determine the accuracy of medical information posted on the social media platform, whether created by a medical professional or not.
Researchers created a TikTok account representing a 15-year-old and examined the top 10 videos that appeared under 10 keywords related to sexual and reproductive health. Data showed that 21.4% of the videos created by non-medical professionals contained inaccurate information compared to 3.4% created by medical professionals. The types of misinformation varied but included dangerous advice such as inducing an abortion.
Angeli Sirilan, primary author and medical student at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, said the presence of misleading and potentially unsafe reproductive information on a platform with such a large youth user base is deeply concerning.
"With major variation in school-based health classes, young people often turn to online platforms like TikTok for answers. This highlights the urgent need for educators, parents, and public health leaders to improve both sexual and reproductive health education and social media literacy," Sirilan said.
Data also showed that over a quarter, or 26.7%, of videos with abortion- related search terms contained inaccurate information, compared to 4.3% of other medically centered videos.
Sirilan said the research also highlights social media companies' responsibility, especially to young people, to create guardrails and systems to protect them from inaccurate and potentially dangerous health information.
Medical professionals need to be aware of misinformation and take the time to direct pediatric patients toward accurate sources of health information and clarify misconceptions, she said.
The authors did not receive financial support for this research.
Study author Angeli Sirilan is scheduled to present her research, which is below, from 10:20 to 10:30 AM on Sunday, Sept. 28 in the Colorado Convention Center, Meeting Room 111/113.
