Do you really need a full body MRI?

YouTube video by The University of Sydney

youtube.com

Influencers are promoting these three health tests – but they risk doing more harm than good

Experts warn of ‘over-diagnosis’ dangers as social media prompts the worried well to seek out unnecessary and expensive scans and blood tests

theguardian.com

Influencers are spruiking these three tests on social media, but they risk doing more harm than good

Experts warn of ‘over-diagnosis’ dangers as social media prompts the worried well to seek out unnecessary and expensive scans and blood tests * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Medical tests are marketed on social media as a way to empower people to take control of their health, but experts are warning to be wary of the harms influencers don’t mention. Three controversial tests – full-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, blood tests for testosterone levels and the Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) or “egg-timer” test, which surveys a woman’s egg count – are the focus of a campaign backed by the University of Sydney based on its own research trying to combat misinformation online. Continue reading...

theguardian.com

'Masculinity crisis': Social media influencers promoting testosterone treatments to young men

Young men are being encouraged to undergo testosterone testing and start hormone therapy through Instagram and TikTok content that promotes unproven health claims while downplaying medical risks, a ne...

medicalxpress.com

‘Manosphere’ influencers pushing testosterone tests are convincing healthy young men there is something wrong with them, study finds

Researcher points to ‘medicalisation of masculinity’ after investigating how men’s health is being monetised online

theguardian.com

‘Manosphere’ influencers pushing testosterone tests are convincing healthy young men there is something wrong with them, study finds

Researcher points to ‘medicalisation of masculinity’ after investigating how men’s health is being monetised online “If you’re not waking up in the morning with a boner, there’s a large possibility that you have low testosterone levels,” an influencer on TikTok with more than 100,000 followers warns his viewers. Despite screening for low testosterone being medically unwarranted in most young men, this group is being aggressively targeted online by influencers and wellness companies promoting hormone tests and treatments as essential to being a “real man”, a study published in the journal Social Science and Medicine has found. Continue reading...

theguardian.com

Selling Masculinity – A Qualitative Analysis of Gender Representations in Social Media Content about “Low T”

Testosterone has long been advertised through gendered messages that link masculinity with strength, sexual performance and vitality. In recent years,…

sciencedirect.com

Addressing misleading medical information on social media: a scoping review of current interventions

Background Misleading information about medical products on social media may cause overuse. Objectives Explore interventions targeting the problem of misleading medical information and marketing on s...

ebm.bmj.com

Social Media Marketing of Non-Evidence-Based Women's Health Interventions: #Protocol for a Content Analysis Using Participatory #Research Methods

Background: The promotion of non-evidence-based health interventions to women on social media is a growing problem. Objective: This #Study aims to explore the use of social media to disseminate and promote health interventions that lack robust evidence and are of current interest and popularity. Methods: A content analysis of posts on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook about 5 health interventions targeted at women will be conducted using participatory #Research methods with consumers. English-language posts that discuss boric acid suppositories, fertility testing, perimenopause and menopause testing, supplements and hormone treatments for menopause, and menopause hormone therapy for disease prevention will be included. Using keyword searches related to each health intervention, consumers will screen the top posts until 100 eligible posts on 2 different social media platforms are identified (1000 posts total across the 5 health interventions). Data from the post’s caption, on-screen text, and audio and/or video will be included in the analysis. The analysis of these posts will take both a deductive approach using a prespecified framework and an inductive approach, generating key themes from the post content. Results: Data on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook have been searched and screened. Development of the coding framework and analysis is now underway. The findings will be disseminated via publications in peer-reviewed international medical journals and presentations at national and international conferences in 2025 and 2026. Conclusions: This novel #Study will provide important insights into how information on various women’s health interventions and products, which currently lack robust evidence of benefit, are being disseminated and promoted on social media to women. Understanding this is essential for developing strategies to mitigate potential harm and plan solutions, thus protecting women from the low-value interventions marketed to them, becoming patients unnecessarily, and taking finite resources away from the health care system.

dlvr.it

Addressing misleading medical information on social media: a scoping review of current interventions

Background Misleading information about medical products on social media may cause overuse. Objectives Explore interventions targeting the problem of misleading medical information and marketing on s...

ebm.bmj.com

Social Media Posts About Medical Tests With Potential for Overdiagnosis

This cross-sectional study examines the tone and content of social media posts that discuss popular medical tests with potential for overdiagnosis or overuse.

jamanetwork.com

Influencers Call These Medical Tests Lifesaving. Here’s What You May Not Know.

New research examined nearly 1,000 posts on tests for fertility, testosterone levels and cancer risk.

nytimes.com

Social media influencers are ‘fearmongering’ to promote health tests with limited evidence, study finds

Researchers warn of harms of overdiagnosis for generally healthy people as well as the cost of tests themselves

theguardian.com

Social Media Posts About Medical Tests With Potential for Overdiagnosis

This cross-sectional study examines the tone and content of social media posts that discuss popular medical tests with potential for overdiagnosis or overuse.

jamanetwork.com

Social Media Posts About Medical Tests With Potential for Overdiagnosis

This cross-sectional study examines the tone and content of social media posts that discuss popular medical tests with potential for overdiagnosis or overuse.

jamanetwork.com

Direct-to-consumer tests: emerging trends are cause for concern

Emma Gram and colleagues argue that the public needs high quality information and effective communication about the evidence behind the marketing of direct-to-consumer tests Advances in diagnostic t...

bmj.com