(45) Empowering Physicians to Address Reproductive Health Misinformation Among Adolescents: A Pilot Educational Series

Background: Misinformation about reproductive health is highly prevalent and disproportionately impacts adolescents and young adults, who frequently turn to social media for health information. Despite the potential for misinformation to harm reproductive health access and outcomes, medical education rarely includes instruction on misinformation. This study aimed to equip pediatric and adolescent gynecology (PAG) providers to address misinformation about reproductive health in clinical settings through a pilot educational series delivered via the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology (NASPAG) Instagram account (@naspaginsta).

Methods: The NASPAG Reproductive Health Misinformation Series consisted of 10 posts shared between June 15-30, 2023. Posts covered three topics: background on health misinformation, including why it spreads and its relevance to adolescents; reproductive health misinformation, including myths about abortion and contraception; and steps that PAG providers can take, namely pre-bunking, building trust, and social media outreach. A survey with five questions of multiple formats assessing respondents’ experience with the series and with misinformation was administered via an Instagram poll.

Results: The survey received an average of 12.2 responses (range 7-15) per question. 13/13 (100%) of respondents indicated that the series was helpful, and 15/15 (100%) expressed a desire to learn more about misinformation. The average score for comfort discussing misinformation with patients was 0.61, with 0 representing “not at all” and 1 representing “very comfortable.” In response to the question “How much does misinformation impact your clinical practice?” respondents gave an average score of 0.79, with 0 representing “not at all” and 1 representing “very much.” Respondents indicated that the largest misinformation-related challenges they experienced in their practices included misconceptions about hormones; contraceptives, particularly side effects; mental health content on TikTok; and anti-vaccine beliefs.

Conclusions: A pilot educational series about reproductive health misinformation delivered via social media was received highly positively. PAG providers report that while misinformation has a substantial impact on their practices, they do not always feel equipped to address it, and they are very interested in receiving instruction on this topic. These findings demonstrate the need for future medical education programs to address misinformation. Knowledge-sharing initiates could allow PAG providers to exchange information about circulating myths and effective communication strategies.