Women in their early twenties are laying bare the pressure they face around fertility after being bombarded with IVF, egg-freezing and fertility test ads on social media.
TikTok and Instagram adverts that suggest IVF treatments and “fertility MOTs” are being sent to millions of users, prompting anxiety around their reproductive health.
New research has revealed the rise of TikTok as a key platform for fertility education among young people, with one in five Gen Zs ranking it as a top source for fertility information, and one-third as a top source for treatment information.
According to the research commissioned by two IVF providers, 22 per cent of young people are feeling “pressure” from social media and influencers to freeze their eggs or sperm.
Charlotte Robertson, a 24-year-old who works with children, revealed the anxiety she and others face from the barrage of posts sent directly to their phones. She said it is hard to distinguish between real medical advice and adverts scouting for business.
She told The Independent how “stressful” it is seeing the ads pop up on Instagram, Facebook and Google, as she questioned whether her male friends are shown the same material.
“They are suggesting IVF and fertility MOTs, and I get ads for egg-freezing,” Ms Robertson, who lives in London, said.
“It feels like it is scaremongering. It makes me annoyed that there is this pressure I am having to think about, even though I am not considering kids for a few years. It is making me anxious about my own fertility.”
A fertility MOT provides patients with an assessment of their fertility and reproductive health for a few hundred pounds, but some experts have raised concerns about the effectiveness of the tests.
Ms Robertson, who works in children’s welfare, said it is hard to know the difference between an advert and genuine advice on social media, and to distinguish between real issues and content promoted by people who are attempting to make money.
She explained that fertility is something she had hoped not to think about for a while, but the adverts are pushing a different message.
“It feels like another thing that is targeting women, to make them anxious and make them do things and spend money,” she said.
As much as we try to not live our lives on social media, the constant uploads and conversations do draw you in, whether you like it or not. These conversations often stay in my head
“I know these things help people and are really beneficial, but I don’t think I’m the target audience.”
She and her friends talk about fertility concerns and freezing their eggs all the time, and feel like they won’t be financially able to start a family before turning 30, Ms Robertson added.
“Getting ads about fertility makes you question if it is even going to be viable to have a family when you are 30. It makes me feel panicked,” she said. “My friends and I, and generally young women of our age, talk about the future a lot, and we are worried about it together.”
The research, from leading IVF providers abc IVF and Create Fertility, found that around four in 19 of the 16- to 26-year-olds polled have been shown fertility treatment content via “influencer collaborations” or paid-for promotions, with just over half of the material pushing IVF.
It feels like another thing that is targeting women, to make them anxious and make them do things and spend money
The study, which polled over 1,000 16- to 26-year-olds in the UK, discovered that nearly a third have thought about or already used an at-home fertility test, while around four in 10 have either contemplated or already undergone a fertility MOT at an IVF clinic.
Clare Ettinghausen, of UK fertility regulator the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), said the growth of social media means there “is a risk that misinformation can be spread just as easily as the facts, which could be a contributing factor to the anxiety found in this study”.
She urged people to ensure that any fertility information they see on apps like TikTok tallies with the information provided on the HFEA website.
Professor Geeta Nargund, a senior NHS consultant gynaecologist, said: “If you are in your twenties, and don’t have any gynaecological problems or pre-existing medical conditions, or relevant family history such as early menopause, you don’t need to unnecessarily worry about your fertility at this stage. However, if you are anxious about it, I would suggest you speak to your GP.”
Tahiti Carminia, a marketing executive, told The Independent she is shown a lot of material linked to fertility on social media, and on TikTok in particular.
The 22-year-old, who is based in London, said: “What I see on social media definitely adds to my anxiety. Going through these things in real life is hard enough, so to scroll and see these things also on your timeline – it’s like you can’t escape it.”
She has always been very anxious that she will not be able to have children, and social media reminds her that “this really could be my reality”, Ms Carminia added.
“As much as we try to not live our lives on social media, the constant uploads and conversations do draw you in, whether you like it or not,” she said. “These conversations often stay in my head.”
She explained that she has tried to speak to her doctor about the chance she could be infertile. “The doctor told me, ‘You’re young, you still have time,’ which is true, but it doesn’t make it any less scary or serious,” Ms Carminia said.
