TikTok Study Assessing Misconceptions in Menstrual Health Management Techniques in the US
How well do teens perceive the magnitude and pervasiveness of menstrual health as a social, political, and health issues? A study via TikTok elucidates precisely how.
The following study was conducted at the Oregon Health & Science University Center for Women’s Health. The following blog post is based off the following study: https://www.jpagonline.org/article/S1083-3188(23)00437-0/abstract
TikTok Survey Findings:
This study was conducted via TikTok on United States students between the ages of 14 and 24. In the survey, questions pertaining to menstrual health literacy and its variation with demographic factors such as geography, religion, and age. The primary finding of the study was: “health literacy is lower among adolescents with certain religious backgrounds and among those who live in the South.”
More specifically, the study found that more than 67% of survey participants indicated a preference to period management techniques that would yield no bleeding, granted said method has no side effects. Interestingly enough, the article points out a clinical method used to delay or prevent a period with extended or continuous use of birth control pills known as medication-induced amenorrhea. This method does not cause any long-term consequences to fertility or health. Contrary to this, nearly ⅔ of survey participants felt it might be unsafe if hormone medications stop your period bleeding.
Avenues to Bridge the Literacy Gap:
The findings from this study are pivotal and point to an immediate need for reform in the national curriculum for menstrual health. A robust curriculum must be implemented in adolescent spaces, with specific regard to the “safe and effective” administration of hormonal medications like birth control for menstrual quelling of bleeding. Such measures are crucial to eradicate the massive amount of misinformation and stigma surrounding menstrual health. According to the article, “Currently, only 24 states in the U.S. mandate reproductive health as part of their schools’ curriculum, and only 20 require information about contraceptive options.” Dr. Maureen Baldwin (MD, MPH), associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the OHSU School of Medicine and co-author of the aforementioned study, is currently spearheading further research to elucidate the “appropriate age and and grade levels to introduce certain topics, such as physiology and hormones.” With that being said, it is ultimately imperative to harness period education to empower adolescents to make health decisions that are best tailored to their unique preferences and situations.
Digging Deeper Into The Research:
Objective: The goal of the research was specifically to assess knowledge regarding the safety of induced amennorea among adolescents and young adults.
Methods: Using a cross-sectional online survey of U.S. residents, online recruitment was conducted through TikTok, as previously stated. The primary result of the study was the proportion of postmenstrual individuals who prefer amenorrhea vs scheduled bleeding.
Results: The post-study analysis, which adjusted for age, gender expression, race, religion, heavy bleeding, and frequent bleeding (according to the research study), factors that were shown to be significantly correlated in the preference for amenorrhea vs regular bleeding were as follows:
Younger age
Masculine gender expression
White race
non-Christian religious background
Sources:
https://news.ohsu.edu/2023/11/17/study-using-tiktok-finds-teens-lack-understanding-of-menstrual-health
https://www.jpagonline.org/article/S1083-3188(23)00437-0/abstract
