• Posted March 3, 2025

Instagram, TikTok Feature "Overwhelmingly" Misleading Medical Info

Heard the latest on social media about testosterone testing, full-body MRI scans, “egg timer” female fertility tests or gut microbiome analysis?

If so, you’ve more than likely been exposed to misinformation, a new study suggests.

Analysis of nearly 1,000 Instagram and TikTok posts on five controversial medical screening tests revealed a tidal wave of half-truths, incomplete information and glossed-over downsides, researchers reported Feb. 28 in JAMA Network Open.

Most of the posts -- promoted by social media influencers with nearly 200 million followers -- contained no reference to scientific evidence, were riddled with explicit financial conflicts of interest and failed to mention potential harms from the tests, researchers found.

“The vast majority of these posts were overwhelmingly misleading,” said lead researcher Brooke Nickel, a research fellow with the University of Sydney School of Public Health in Australia.

“They are being promoted under the guise of early screening, as a way to take control of your own health,” she said in a news release. “The problem is they are unnecessary for most people and, in some cases, the science backing their efficacy is shaky.”

For the study, researchers scanned Instagram and TikTok for posts regarding five trendy but controversial medical screenings -- full-body MRI scans, genetic testing for cancer, blood tests for testosterone levels, the AMH test for a woman’s egg count and gut microbiome assessment.

“These tests carry the potential for healthy people to receive unnecessary diagnoses, which could lead to unnecessary medical treatments or impact mental health,” Nickel said.

Researchers found that out of 982 posts between April 2015 and January 2024:

• 84% appeared to be promoting the tests, rather than assessing them in a neutral or skeptical manner.

• 87% mentioned benefits of the tests, but only 15% mentioned potential harms.

• 6% mentioned that the test could result in a false diagnosis or unnecessary treatment.

• 6% mentioned scientific evidence.

• 34% used personal anecdotes to promote a test.

“One of the underlying themes being used by influencers promoting these tests is that knowledge is power, but most information is cherry picked,” Nickel said. “When it comes to health, getting the full picture is so important, and half-truths are often lies.”

Researchers also found that nearly 7 in 10 (68%) of influencers and other account holders had a financial interest in promoting the test.

“These findings suggest social media is an open sewer of medical misinformation,” co-researcher Ray Moynihan, an honorary assistant professor at Bond University in Australia, said in a news release.

Nickel pointed to the “egg timer” AMH test as one that could lead to unnecessary treatment.

“It is being heavily marketed to women by influencers as a way of measuring fertility, but experts do not consider it to be reliable,” Nickel said. “There is the concern that a low result discovered outside the context of a specific medical issue may drive some women to unnecessary, costly fertility interventions.”

Another example is testosterone testing, “often marketed to men using fearmongering tactics to then promote testosterone supplements which claim to enhance masculinity and sexual performance,” Nickel said. “This is risky as the long-term safety of testosterone replacement therapy on cardiovascular health and mortality is still unknown.”

The research team also noted that:

• Multi-cancer genetic tests are still being examined in clinical trials, and there’s concern the tests will lead to unnecessary cancer diagnoses in healthy people.

• Gut microbiome tests promise “wellness” for conditions ranging from flatulence to depression, without solid scientific evidence that gut microbes actually influence those health problems.

• Full-body MRI scans are claimed to test for up to 500 conditions, but there’s no evidence of any benefit for healthy people.

More information

The American Psychological Association has more on health misinformation.

SOURCE: University of Sydney, news release, Feb. 26, 2025