Warnings over TikTok DIY health advice

Dangerous Tik Tok health trends are sweeping the internet, with medical professionals slamming mass medical misinformation as influencers take their instructional videos to alarming new levels.

Dangerous Tik Tok health trends are sweeping the internet, with medical professionals slamming mass medical misinformation as influencers take their instructional videos to alarming new levels.

The latest trend involves women showing others how to pull out intra-uterine devices (IUDs), with the hashtag #takeoutyourowniud.

Many women in the comments and written captions blame long waits for GP appointments for their decisions to turn to social media for unsolicited health advice.

Doctors have condemned the content, warning IUD self-removal poses serious risks.

People on TikTok are suggesting unsafe contraception advice such as removing IUDs themselves.

But they are battling the powerful TikTok algorithm which spreads the dangerous health advice at an alarming rate, with little or no checks and balances, experts say.

University of Queensland data science expert Associate Professor Gianluca Demartini said social media algorithms had evolved to having near complete control over user content.

“People are searching for information on social media more and they are being pushed by the algorithm and the patterns are making the decisions,” he said.

“The challenge now for moderators is what to remove and keep given the vast amount of content continuously created by users and the goal to keep people engaged.

“Pornography today is auto detected and removed by the algorithm but there are subjective things like misinformation and what is considered truthful or not, controversial things, that’s hard to teach an algorithm.”

Risks associated with the unchecked advice on IUDs includes severe bleeding, possible infertility and long-term cervical and uterine damage.

“The main risk is trauma to the uterus or cervix, which could lead to pain and bleeding, infection and hospitalisation,” senior medical officer in gynaecology Dr Anna Alderton said.

Since the trend emerged in late December, health professionals have tried to combat the algorithm from recycling the videos by releasing their own content warnings.

However they have no control over the TikTok algorithm which chooses which videos it will serve up to young women in their social feeds.

Dr Demartini said users could actively report inappropriate content to take back some consumer power.