TikTok sexual health videos often contain misinformation, study finds

TikTok sexual health videos often contain misinformation, study finds | Image Credit: © Viktor - stock.adobe.com.

Young people seeking sexual health information on TikTok are frequently exposed to misinformation, according to new research presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2025 National Conference & Exhibition in Denver, Colorado.^1,2

The study, Digital Misinformation and Public Health: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Sexual Health Content on TikTok, analyzed the accuracy of sexual and reproductive health content on the platform. Researchers created a TikTok account representing a 15-year-old user and reviewed the top 10 videos appearing under 10 keywords related to sexual health.

“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,” said study author Angeli Sirilan, a medical student at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix.

Study design

The cross-sectional analysis was conducted on March 25, 2025. Two independent reviewers examined 100 English-language videos under three minutes in length. Videos were classified as accurate, inaccurate, or neutral, and reviewers assessed whether content was posted by a medical professional or promoted unsafe behavior. Cohen’s kappa test was used to calculate inter-rater reliability, while Chi-squared tests were used for statistical analyses.

Inter-rater reliability for video accuracy was 98%. Of the 100 videos reviewed, 58% were created by healthcare professionals.

Findings

The study found significant differences in accuracy depending on whether a video was created by a medical professional:

• Only 3.4% of videos created by healthcare professionals were inaccurate.
• By contrast, 21.4% of videos created by non-medical professionals contained misinformation (p<0.001).
• Topics related to abortion were particularly concerning: 26.7% of abortion-related videos contained inaccurate information compared with 4.3% of other videos (p=0.001).
• Abortion-related videos were also the only category linked to unsafe practices (p=0.007).

The types of misinformation varied but included misleading or unsafe advice, such as methods to induce abortion without medical supervision.

Sirilan expressed concern over these findings, noting that the widespread reach of TikTok amplifies the risks of exposure to inaccurate content. “The presence of misleading and potentially unsafe reproductive information on a platform with such a large youth user base is deeply concerning,” she said.

Implications for pediatric care and public health

The findings emphasize the dual role TikTok plays for adolescents. While it can serve as a valuable tool to disseminate reproductive health information, it also exposes young users to dangerous inaccuracies. For physicians, awareness of the prevalence of misinformation on social media is important when discussing sexual and reproductive health with adolescent patients.

“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,” Sirilan said.

The study also highlights the responsibility of social media platforms to protect young audiences. Sirilan noted that “social media companies’ responsibility, especially to young people, [is] to create guardrails and systems to protect them from inaccurate and potentially dangerous health information.”

Conclusion

As adolescents increasingly turn to digital platforms to answer sensitive questions, health care professionals, educators, and policymakers may need to work together to improve sexual health education and media literacy while advocating for stricter oversight of misinformation online.

The study’s authors concluded that while TikTok can serve as a useful channel for sharing accurate sexual health information, particularly from medical professionals, the persistence of misinformation underscores the need for stronger safeguards and physician guidance.

References:

1. American Academy of Pediatrics. Over 20% of sexual health-related TikToks contained inaccurate information. Eurekalert. September 26, 2025. Accessed September 26, 2025. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1098727
2. Sirilan A. Digital Misinformation and Public Health: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Sexual Health Content on TikTok. Abstract. Presented at: American Academy of Pediatrics 2025 National Conference & Exhibition. September 26-30, 2025. Denver, Colorado.