Doctors and campaigners have raised concerns over women being targeted by misleading ads that promote alternative treatments online. As NHS services are struggling to keep up with demand, some alternative treatments do not have enough evidence to back them up, while others can clash with prescribed medications. This situation is made worse by the explosion of targeted ads and glowing testimonials on social media, some of which could be written by AI. Retired breast surgeon Liz O’Riordan, who is a three-time breast cancer survivor, warned that patients often come to her with misinformation. She said the internet had become like cults and conspiracy theories, adding that women find testimonials for products appealing, with claims of cures at a great cost.
Colorectal surgeon Julie Cornish explained that several of her patients had paid for alternative treatments with unqualified practitioners. Some of these patients had cancers that could have been treated successfully had they come sooner and had some of the warning signs not been overlooked. She added that some complementary therapies for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) could be useful for people who had been diagnosed with the condition, but a “diagnosis of exclusion” needs to be made first to rule out underlying cancer or another condition. Meanwhile, Menopause Support founder Diane Danzebrink has raised concerns about the commercialisation of the space and the competition and misinformation that goes with it. She has called for mandatory training for healthcare practitioners to help reduce waiting times and the need to seek out unproven alternatives.
Online health misinformation is not limited to cancer patients or to a certain age range. Girls as young as eight have been given dangerous advice on supplements to “balance their hormones” on social media. Molly Fenton, who founded Love Your Period at 16, noted that it is difficult to fact-check what is in a video. Social media platforms have become popular for targeted ads for women’s health, which is a very vulnerable space due to a lack of education and knowledge. Women can be approached to endorse products on social media, often with a pink box, leading to concerns over credibility
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More