A Look at Social Media and Misinformation in Regard to Abortion [ID: 1379920

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Social media is an increasingly utilized source for medical information. There is a paucity of data for the amount and source of medical misinformation on social media for women's health topics. Our study aimed to define the rate of medical misinformation for abortion on Instagram and evaluate its source. METHODS: Open-source posts through the platform Instagram were collected using a web-scraper program. Posts met the following preset parameters; greater than or equal to 250 likes, posted January 1, 2022 to July 11, 2022, and containing at least one prespecified hashtag: #AbortionPill, #AbortionFacts, #UnplannedPregnancy. Posts were analyzed for poster self-identification as a physician, nonphysician provider, or nonmedical provider and for presence and accuracy of medical content. RESULTS: Ninety-seven percent of posts were from nonmedical providers, 1.5% from physicians and 1.5% from nonphysician providers. Of posts containing medical information, 63.5% were accurate, and 36.5% contained misinformation. Seventy-nine percent of posts with inaccurate information were from nonmedical providers, 10.5% from physicians, and 10.5% from nonphysician providers. 47.9% of all posts were pro-abortion, 34.8% were anti-abortion, and 17.3% took no stance. Of posts containing medical misinformation, 84.2% were anti-abortion, and 15.8%, pro-abortion. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that social media is being used to distribute accurate and inaccurate medical information by both medical providers and nonmedical providers and from both pro- and anti-abortion beliefs. It demonstrates the responsibility of the physician to share medically accurate information when participating in social media and opens the question of the effect this misinformation may have on patient experience and care.