Doctors warn about social media link to abortion rise
BBC By Katie McEvinney
BBC Scotland news
Misinformation about contraception on social media may be contributing to Scotland's record high abortion figures, doctors have told the BBC.
The number of terminations carried out in Scotland rose by almost a fifth between 2021 and 2022.
For the first time in 14 years, the number of 16 to 19-year-olds accessing abortion services also increased.
There are concerns this is being driven in part by false and misleading information on apps such as TikTok.
- Abortion rise in Scotland may be driven by cost of living
- Reproductive coercion: 'I wasn't allowed to take my pill'
Videos on the platform include false claims about hormonal contraception, such as the pill, the implant, the jab and some types of the coil.
The misinformation online often focuses on side effects.
One TikTok video that has been viewed more than 600,000 times falsely claims hormonal birth control can cause infertility and brain tumours.
Another video posted by an influencer with more than 300,000 followers claims "birth control is this generation's cigarettes" and "ruins our bodies".
