What message is the content sending?

Is it informative & helpful? 

Is it stigmatizing? 

Is it positive or negative?

Current studies emphasize tension surrounding menstrual conversations on social media, prohibiting educational discussions. In their Journal of Adolescent Health study of 140 TikTok videos from 107 accounts, Olsson and peers elaborate on the negative portrayal of menstruation on social media. Notably, they point out that only 43% of the accounts were menstrual-focused (pg.355). In other words, the most popular menstrual content was from accounts not dedicated to menstrual education. To make matters worse, 90% of sampled videos were produced by unqualified or amateur creators (pg. 355). Such statistics call into question the credibility of menstrual content on TikTok, among other popular social media platforms. 

Misinformation on social media is not a new phenomenon; however, in recent years, the amount of women’s health misinformation circulating on platforms has increased. Seeking to understand this increase, Malki and peers investigate the impact that existing social, political, and economic atmospheres have on women’s health content. For example, they explain how the overturn of Roe v. Wade, the constitutional right to abortion, presented a wave of media misinformation about abortion methods, miscarriage procedures, and contraceptive use (pg. 2). Accordingly, Malki and colleagues found that menstrual health myths were one of the leading topics containing overwhelmingly misrepresented or skewed information (pg. 7). These results speak to the dangerous implications of content put out by unqualified individuals. 

Despite lacking credibility, female reproductive health content on the social media platforms can foster supportive communities. Olsson and peers commend menstrual content on TikTok, highlighting that 66% of menstrual content in the sample has educational intentions. The authors accredit TikTok as a potential educational resource, applauding its accessibility, convenience, and engagement (pg. 365). Tomlinson supports that social media offers an accessible classroom for young girls and women seeking to learn about menstruation (pg. 173). Social media can present menstrual information in a normalized and relatable manner, allowing more realistic menstrual information to be spread. Still, the content is highly subjective, denoting the unreliable nature of menstrual media.

This study’s methodology takes from the journal Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, the Journal of Adolescent Health, and the Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. I will create a new Instagram account. To find my sample, I will refer to a list of the top 20 period influencers of 2025. I found this source through a simple Google search of "period influencers on Instagram". My study will randomly select 5 influencers who have over 10k followers from this site. From these accounts, I will find the most popular pieces of content from each month of 2025, determined by the number of likes. I will note the date and type of content and the influencer’s credentials listed in their profile, written in the caption, or mentioned verbally. For each piece of content, I will code for ideal menstrual educational standards outlined by Jones and Baldwin and the DC 2016 Menstrual Health Education Standards (see Fig. 1). 

Aligning with Olsson and peers’ methodology, I will also code for the purpose of the content: education, entertainment, or advertising. After reviewing each piece of content from the influencers, I will holistically review the account to evaluate its educational potential. Additionally, I will look at content across all influencer accounts to see which topics were addressed the most and which were addressed the least. I will perform a Z-Test to see if the amount of educational standards met is significant across the sampled accounts.