The Viral Threat Stopping Social Media Misinformation on Reproductive Health
Anu Manchikanti Gomez, Ph.D. Associate Professor School of Social Welfare UC Berkeley
By Sarah Colwell
Coye Cheshire, Ph.D. Professor School of Information UC Berkeley
COMPUTATIONAL HEALTH
Anu Manchikanti Gómez, Ph.D., grew up in the Southeastern U.S. in a culture where sex was rarely discussed. “I came to this work as an immigrant who grew up in Western Kentucky, when virginity pledges were popular and sex ed was non-existent,” she said in a UC Berkeley interview. “This, combined with the stories of gender inequality and reproductive loss experienced by the women in my family, really lit a fire in me to make a difference in sexual and reproductive health.” That fire has fueled a career dedicated to dispelling misinformation and promoting reproductive health equity. As a professor at UC Berkeley’s School of Social Welfare and Director of the Sexual Health and Reproductive Equity (SHARE) Program, Gómez has spent years studying how to improve access to contraception and abortions. Now, thanks to UCNI, she is expanding her research into modern platforms where misinformation spreads rapidly— specifically TikTok. TikTok’s Influence: A Breeding Ground for Misinformation With more than a billion active users, TikTok has become a major information hub, particularly for young people. While the platform offers an opportunity to share educational content, it is also a powerful vehicle for spreading misinformation. Falsehoods about birth control, abortion and reproductive rights can gain traction in seconds, making it difficult for users to distinguish fact from fiction.
68 Impact Report 2023 - 24 | UC NI
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