How Social Media Shapes Women’s Health Choices
Wed Feb 04 2026
Ever feel like every scroll brings a new rule for your body? We sit down with Dr. Emily Fender, a health communication scientist whose research tracks how women’s health messages spread across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube—and why the loudest claims aren’t always the most useful. Together, we break down a simple lens you can use anywhere online: threat versus efficacy. Are you being scared into attention, or actually given steps and resources to act? That distinction shows up in everything from contraception myths to perinatal mental health, where severity gets clicks but supportive guidance often goes missing.
We dig into cycle syncing and the difference between evidence, overreach, and personalized training. You’ll hear why rigid phase-based rules can backfire, creating shame and cost barriers, and how athletes worry these narratives label women as fragile for half the month. We zoom out to the bigger system: incentives that reward certainty, influencer marketing that sells protocols, and even expertise drift when clinicians post outside their lane. Then we get practical about risk communication—turning relative risk into absolute numbers, spotting absolute statements, and demanding receipts when someone says “studies show.”
We also scout the horizon with AI. Some tools can surface studies and highlight exact evidence, but they can’t replace synthesis or context. Deepfakes and confident summaries raise the bar for skepticism, so we share a quick checklist to stress test posts before you share or act: scope, sources, statistics, and a simple “does this make sense” pass. Use social media for community, discovery, and momentum—then ground your choices in evidence, your values, and your lived experience. If you’ve been craving fewer rules and more clarity, this conversation offers a calmer, smarter way to navigate women’s health online. Subscribe, share with a friend who lifts, and leave a review to tell us the one claim you want decoded next.
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Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter
You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes.
Interested in our programs? Check us out here!
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Ever feel like every scroll brings a new rule for your body? We sit down with Dr. Emily Fender, a health communication scientist whose research tracks how women’s health messages spread across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube—and why the loudest claims aren’t always the most useful. Together, we break down a simple lens you can use anywhere online: threat versus efficacy. Are you being scared into attention, or actually given steps and resources to act? That distinction shows up in everything from contraception myths to perinatal mental health, where severity gets clicks but supportive guidance often goes missing. We dig into cycle syncing and the difference between evidence, overreach, and personalized training. You’ll hear why rigid phase-based rules can backfire, creating shame and cost barriers, and how athletes worry these narratives label women as fragile for half the month. We zoom out to the bigger system: incentives that reward certainty, influencer marketing that sells protocols, and even expertise drift when clinicians post outside their lane. Then we get practical about risk communication—turning relative risk into absolute numbers, spotting absolute statements, and demanding receipts when someone says “studies show.” We also scout the horizon with AI. Some tools can surface studies and highlight exact evidence, but they can’t replace synthesis or context. Deepfakes and confident summaries raise the bar for skepticism, so we share a quick checklist to stress test posts before you share or act: scope, sources, statistics, and a simple “does this make sense” pass. Use social media for community, discovery, and momentum—then ground your choices in evidence, your values, and your lived experience. If you’ve been craving fewer rules and more clarity, this conversation offers a calmer, smarter way to navigate women’s health online. Subscribe, share with a friend who lifts, and leave a review to tell us the one claim you want decoded next. ___________________________________________________________________________ Don't miss out on any of the TEA coming out of the Barbell Mamas by subscribing to our newsletter You can also follow us on Instagram and YouTube for all the up-to-date information you need about pelvic health and female athletes. Interested in our programs? Check us out here!