Study reveals bias in social media algorithms with women’s health posts censored more than men’s
A recent study on censorship has unveiled that posts concerning women’s health are more than three times more likely to be suppressed on social media compared to those about men’s health.
In a social media experiment, influencer Aly Boghici (@allmumstalk) found that her posts discussing menopause and sex were viewed by 66 percent fewer non-followers than her usual Instagram content.
Conversely, when her husband Justin (@alldadstalk) posted about sex and testosterone imbalance, he only experienced a slight decrease in views from non-followers. The disparity was also noticeable in engagement rates.
Aly witnessed a 69 percent drop in comments on her posts, while Justin saw a 76 percent increase as both followers and non-followers expressed genuine interest in his discussions on men’s health issues.
The study indicates that content related to women’s health and sexual wellness is frequently censored on social media platforms due to outdated algorithms flagging words such as vagina or period, preventing non-followers from seeing the posts.
The experiment was commissioned by hygiene and health company Essity, the firm behind menstrual health brands Bodyform and Modibodi, as part of their campaign to prevent social media companies from banning medically and anatomically accurate terminology associated with women’s health.
Aly documented a ‘significant decline’ in engagement across her four posts concerning women’s health.
She found that content relating to menstrual health, sexual wellbeing, or even charitable organisations supporting menstrual health attracted considerably less interaction than her typical posts.
Without algorithmic support, she acknowledged that she might be more reluctant to share such content going forward, but cautioned that this won’t help break taboos.
Throughout the experiment, Aly’s posted about periods, heavy bleeding and endometriosis, but experienced a 25 per cent reduction in views. Content addressing sensitive subjects like thrush and discharge also saw a 14 per cent decrease compared to her standard material.
Justin mirrored this approach, sharing content about ‘sensitive topics’ such as testicular pain, but found he received an increase in activity from non-followers. His posts about penile, testicular and prostate cancers witnessed a four per cent rise in views from non-followers.
Justin commented: “It was quite interesting to make this men’s vs women’s health comparison. What surprised me was how differently my wife’s posts on women’s health were treated, she saw a clear drop in engagement.
“It doesn’t feel fair that one gender appears to be disproportionately censored when it comes to sharing information about health.”
A study, involving 4,000 adults, found that nearly half of social media users view these platforms as essential for educating themselves on health and wellbeing.
Additionally, 45 percent are against any restrictions on posts using accurate medical or anatomical terms to describe the human body. At the same time, 44 percent feel that everyone should have the freedom to share health-related content.
Essity, in partnership with the campaign group CensHERship, is working to highlight the negative impact of censoring women’s health issues on social media.
Spokesperson Kate said: “Our Bodyform brand is regularly censored when it launches new campaigns on social media that are designed to improve education around menstrual health.
“Women and girls must be able to access information and advice about critical health topics on social media and they should be able to hear about and engage with the experiences of others.
“We’re asking the social media giants to use their expertise and offer a solution that would help millions of women and girls gain access to important content and information.”
