[Menstruation on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok: a content and quality analysis]

Young people and adults are increasingly searching for information about menstruation on social media. Against this background, the present study aimed, for the first time, to examine the content and quality of German-language menstruation videos on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. The study addresses research questions (RQ) on content provider types (RQ1), content (RQ2), and the quality of menstruation videos (RQ3) as well as audience reactions (RQ4).

In 2024, a sample of N = 500 popular menstruation videos was drawn from YouTube (150), Instagram (150), and TikTok (200). For each video, up to 20 of the most liked topic-related audience comments were included (N = 6314). Videos and comments were analyzed using reliability-tested codebooks. Data analysis was performed with R. The study is preregistered, and all data, materials, and analysis scripts are publicly available.

The included menstruation videos predominantly originated from laypersons (42%) and less frequently from healthcare professionals (17%; RQ1). The portrayal of menstruation was mostly neutral (52%); negative (15%) or positive (13%) depictions were less frequent. Content-wise, the videos primarily addressed the experience of menstruation (e.g., pain) and practical management of bleeding (e.g., menstrual products; RQ2). According to quality criteria for evidence-based health information, substantial deficits were observed (RQ3). Comment sections were used by viewers to share personal experiences and to ask questions (RQ4).

Future research and practical measures are necessary to further assess and improve the quality of social media videos about menstruation.