TikTok, which has been under scrutiny due to its links to communist China and significant national security concerns, is once again in the spotlight for censoring posts in response to pressure from leftist media outlets.
The target this time? Those who dared post about the side effects of hormonal birth control.
The Washington Post requested that TikTok take down videos where women discussed their experiences with hormonal contraceptives. These videos addressed issues like pain during IUD insertion, side effects, and the absence of adequate pain relief options. As a result of The Post’s request, multiple videos were removed, sparking concerns about censorship and misinformation on the platform.
The Washington Post published a controversial report trying to discredit women discussing common side effects of oral contraceptives. The report highlighted TikTok’s censorship of individuals interviewed for the article, such as Brett Cooper from The Daily Wire and TikTok influencer Nicole Bendayan. The newspaper admitted to playing a part in removing multiple videos. In 1977, The Post reported on the heightened risk of cervical cancer among users of the Pill, a fact it failed to mention in its report.
The Washington Post reported that TikTok removed five videos discussing contraception. The move came after the newspaper inquired about how the app handles misinformation. According to a TikTok spokesperson, the removed videos contained content that was inaccurate, misleading, or potentially harmful to individuals or society.
The Post’s article strongly defended the use of contraception, lamenting the growing trend of women opting out of it and blaming conservative “misinformation” for this shift. The article expressed concern over “misleading” videos on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, which criticize hormonal contraception. These videos include claims of weight gain due to birth control, assertions from conservative commentators about contraceptives causing infertility, and testimonials mentioning depression and anxiety.
“Search for ‘birth control’ on TikTok or Instagram and a cascade of misleading videos vilifying hormonal contraception appear,” the Post’s report said. “Young women blaming their weight gain on the pill. Right-wing commentators claiming that some birth control can lead to infertility. Testimonials complaining of depression and anxiety.”
One censored video was of Brett Cooper’s appearance on the Iced Coffee Hour podcast in May 2023. Cooper is an American female conservative political commentator, media personality, and actress who, during the show, discussed concerns regarding contraception’s side effects, decreased fertility, weight gain, diminished hormone function, and the loss of romantic attraction. Her clip earned almost 220,000 likes before TikTok removed it.
Cooper posted on X, “What’s ironic is that [The Post] reached out to me for a comment, and they asked WHY my video was removed and no longer available. Shocker… was because of them.” She included a screenshot of The Post’s request to censor her clip.
Nicole Bendayan chose to stop using birth control because of concerns about post-birth control syndrome. Birth control pills prevent the body from making reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone. When someone stops taking birth control, it can disrupt the communication between the brain and ovaries, which control the menstrual cycle and fertility. She took to TikTok to explain the possibility of these side effects and how they influenced her decision in a viral video that the platform quickly and quietly removed.
Numerous women encounter side effects like irregular bleeding, bloating, headaches, high blood pressure, blood clots, and reduced libido when using contraceptives, significantly affecting their quality of life. Despite efforts to improve contraceptive options, such as the pill and long-acting reversible methods, drawbacks persist. For example, hormonal IUDs can lead to irregular periods, nausea, and depression.
It’s unclear why this information, once widely accepted, has become taboo. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has documented severe side effects of long-term birth control use, including cancer, multiple sclerosis, weight gain, and suicidal thoughts, all now dismissed by the sudden “medical expertise” of the Post.
Progressives will never let something like devastating consequences get in the way of a profitable gig.
In the United States, the contraceptive market was worth approximately USD 8.3 billion in 2022 and is predicted to grow around 5.16% annually from 2023 to 2030.
Don’t worry about the possibility of side effects –take the pill, pad politicians’ pockets, and shut up.