Social media no substitute for physician care when it comes to women’s health

By John Monk as seen in Woman to Woman

Advances in technology and access to them can be a blessing when it comes to healthcare and a curse when it comes to spreading misinformation.

New diagnostic tools, treatment options, surgical methods and monitors are leading to better outcomes for patients. At the same time, something as simple as patients accessing web browsers and social media can cause misinformation and lead to risky decisions or unnecessary panic when it comes to their health.

We know many people make a habit of consulting “Dr. Google” when they have a medical concern. Some may receive a test result and conduct an online search to try to get a sense of what it means before consulting their physician. Others may Google their symptoms to try to diagnose a medical issue for themselves or a loved one.

The same holds true for social media posts. Viral videos or posts can spread misinformation about health issues that can sometimes lead to dangerous consequences or unnecessary fear.

Some recent examples involve tampons and their impacts on reproductive health. One post went viral from a mother claiming her 12-year-old daughter was diagnosed with toxic shock syndrome (TSS) and nearly died after swimming in a lake while wearing a tampon.

Toxic shock syndrome is an extremely rare, life-threatening medical emergency that is caused by toxins created by staph and strep bacterial infections. The National Institutes of Health reports the incidence of TSS today is estimated to be less than one per 100,000 in the United States.

While TSS is most often associated with the use of tampons that have a higher absorbency level than is needed for an individual’s level of menstrual flow, TSS does not only impact menstruating women and isn’t only caused by tampons. It can impact infants, men and post-menopausal women. Risk factors include skin wounds, surgery and those using tampons and menstrual cups.

Symptoms can include a sudden onset and rapid progression of flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, nausea, vomiting and body aches in addition to low blood pressure, rash and peeling skin on the hands and feet. TSS is treated with antibiotics in a hospital setting.

TSS first came to light with an outbreak in 1980 determined to be caused by the use of high-absorbency tampons. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention worked with tampon manufacturers to remove the high-absorbency tampons from the market and to add warning labels encouraging consumers to use the lowest absorbency product necessary. As a result, cases were significantly reduced.

Is it possible to get TSS from swimming in a lake while wearing a tampon? Potentially, but it is no more or less inherently risky than wearing a tampon in general.

Shortly after the posts about the young girl went viral, a study by researchers at UC Berkeley School of Public Health found trace quantities of 16 types of heavy metals in 14 different brands of tampons in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Reports of the study hit mainstream media, raising questions on the safety of tampons.

While the study found the presence of heavy metals, what it didn’t show is what brands they tested, whether or not the metals can or are being absorbed into the body or what dangers, if any, they may be posing to users. The study itself said, “Future research is needed to replicate our findings and determine whether metals can leach out of tampons and cross the vaginal epithelium (lining) into systemic circulation.”

The aim of the study was to discover what is in tampons, not the potential health risks that could be associated with them. It is also important to note that tampons weren’t studied in the way they are actually used.

Regardless, many social media influencers took to TikTok with videos of themselves throwing away their boxes of unused tampons, saying they weren’t going to use them because of a perceived harm, citing the study.

In short, fear mongering social media posts are intended to do just that – get clicks, likes and shares that boost exposure for content providers. The bottom line is the information we have today is that tampons in and of themselves do not pose a health risk when used properly.

When it comes to using Dr. Google or information on social media posts from those not in the medical field, take what you are seeing with a grain of salt. It takes a medical professional to accurately diagnose and treat a medical issue. Patients with questions about what may be causing their symptoms or if health information they’re seeing on social media is true or should cause them concern should always contact their healthcare providers.

When in doubt, check it out with the experts who know best.