A study of 4,000 adults found that 77% of those aged 18-34 turn to social media to educate themselves about male and female health – but many struggle to find what they need
A survey of 4,000 individuals revealed that while three quarters of those aged between 18 and 34 utilise social media for education on male and female health, many encounter difficulties in finding the information they require. Among users aged 18-24, 34% confess they struggle to find information when searching for women’s health topics – a sentiment echoed by 21% of those aged 25-34.
The study found that 77% of those aged 18-34 are aware of ‘shadow banning’ – a practice where a user’s content is restricted, decategorised or hidden on a social media platform, thereby limiting its reach or engagement. Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook have been identified as incorrectly removing content related to women’s menstrual and sexual health, categorising it as adult content despite the use of anatomical terminology.
Three in 10 young adults spend over five hours a day on social media, using it as a crucial platform to communicate, read and learn more about health topics such as periods, menopause, incontinence and erectile dysfunction. However, 33% of those aged 18-24, and 22% of 25-34 year olds believe that content related to women’s health is often restricted or concealed on social media.
A new campaign spearheaded by hygiene and health giant Essity, in partnership with CensHERship, an advocate for equal representation of women’s health content, and the Period Equity Alliance, a coalition of charities and educational bodies, is calling for an end to shadow banning on social media platforms. This initiative aims to ensure that everyone has access to necessary products and education, preventing periods from becoming a barrier.
Kate Prince, spokesperson for Essity, the firm behind well-known brands like Bodyform and Modibodi, commented: “Social media plays a pivotal role as a resource for young people to educate themselves, research and discuss their health and their bodies.” She lamented the current situation, stating: “But unfortunately for many, unaccountable algorithms that ultimately decide what they do and don’t see, mean that young people are being denied access to information that is crucial to understand their bodies and to empower them to seek the help they may need.”
Prince firmly believes that: “Medically and anatomically correct language related to health should not be censored.”She declared the company’s intention: “We want to work with social media companies to put this right, and will be calling on the Government to help us find solutions.”
According to research conducted through OnePoll, 52% of adults believe that shadow banning can be justified on social media under certain circumstances – especially content that could incite violence or abuse (74%), sexually explicit material (67%), and posts containing foul and abusive language (55%). However, 45% of respondents believe there should be no restrictions on posts using accurate medical or anatomical terminology to describe the human body.
44% are of the opinion that anyone should have the freedom to publish content related to women’s health, such as menstrual health or breast cancer. Furthermore, 41% concur that crucial information about men’s health should be accessible for public viewing – including content on erectile dysfunction or prostate cancer. A significant majority of adults (77%) expressed that terms like ‘vagina’ or ‘periods’ should not be censored on social media when used for educational purposes.
Among social media users, 29% of those aged 18-24 and 28% of those aged 25-34 would like to see more information about periods posted on social media platforms. However, disseminating information about menstrual health is not without its censorship challenges, as experienced by period product brand Bodyform.
Spokesperson Nuria Antoja stated: “Bodyform has been at the forefront of breaking barriers around menstrual health but it has not been without its challenges. Our advertising on some of the most popular social media platforms has been frequently held back after triggering automated censorship. Often this is simply because we have used words like period or vagina. If we’re serious about breaking taboos and encouraging conversations about women’s health that in some instances can save lives, then we’ve got to have the freedom to have open discussions on social media without censorship.”
Research has shown that the 25-34 year old demographic is the most engaged with health and wellbeing content on social media platforms, with 55% actively seeking information on topics such as mental health, sex, cancer, menopause, and menstruation. This age bracket is also the most likely to share health and wellbeing information online, with 30% posting such content.
Yet, 34% of 25-34 year olds who are aware of shadow banning and post either personally or professionally believe their content has been restricted in some manner. Among these individuals, a fifth were attempting to disseminate information about women’s health, while 27% were focused on general health and wellbeing.
Influencer Charlotte Emily, who has garnered a following of 91.6k on Instagram for her candid discussions on self-love, menstruation, and endometriosis, has experienced censorship firsthand. She commented: “I’ve noticed a significant difference in engagement with my content when I discuss topics often considered ‘taboo’ – specifically women’s health, periods, or body image struggles – despite these being important and everyday conversations that shouldn’t be seen as controversial.
“A few years ago, content visibility was particularly limited if I used words like ‘period’ instead of euphemisms like ‘time of the month’ or ‘Aunt Flo’. While things have definitely improved since I first started speaking openly about women’s health online, I still find that these posts don’t get pushed out as widely as my more light-hearted fashion or lifestyle content.”
Clio Wood, co-founder of CensHERship (corr), an organisation aiming to combat social media censorship of women’s health and sexual wellbeing content, stated: “Social media is such a powerful and engaging way for people to learn about their health – and the knowledge being shared can help break down taboos and in some cases be lifesaving.
“But our own data shows that too often it’s women’s health content that is restricted or removed because it is incorrectly classified as ‘adult content’ simply for referring to a female body part. This is a broken system and women deserve better – they deserve equal, uncensored access to health information about their bodies.”
