Fertility ads on social media 'adding to women's anxiety'

Women in their early twenties are laying bare the pressure they face around fertility after being bombarded with IVF, egg-freezing and fertility test ads on social media.

- MAYA OPPENNHEIM

TikTok and Instagram adverts that suggest IVF treatments and “fertility MOTs” are being sent to millions of users, prompting anxiety around their reproductive health.

New research has revealed the rise of TikTok as a key platform for fertility education among young people, with one in five Gen Zs ranking it as a top source for fertility information, and one-third as a top source for treatment information. According to the research commissioned by two IVF providers, 22 percent of young people are feeling “pressure” from social media and influencers to freeze their eggs or sperm.

Charlotte Robertson, a 24-year-old who works with children, revealed the anxiety she and others face from the barrage of posts sent directly to their phones. She said it is hard to distinguish between real medical advice and adverts scouting for business. She told The Independent how “stressful” it is seeing the ads pop up on Instagram, Facebook and Google, as she questioned whether her male friends are shown the same material.

“They are suggesting IVF and fertility MOTs, and I get ads for egg-freezing,” Ms Robertson, who lives in London, said. “It feels like it is scaremongering. It makes me annoyed that there is this pressure I am having to think about, even though I am not considering kids for a few years. It is making me anxious about my own fertility.”