Meta categorizes tampons, breast pumps, and menstrual pants as adult content, amidst increasing content restriction efforts.
In 2025, concerns over censorship of women's health products and information have arisen, with Meta leading the charge. According to an investigation by Cosmopolitan, content relating to period pants, tampons, and breast pumps is being blocked or shadowbanned on Meta-owned platforms Facebook and Instagram.
The suspicion is that Meta's censorship is politically motivated and reflects the values of the current presidential administration. According to the publication, products and content related to female healthcare have been inappropriately classified as "sexual" or "adult content." The use of anatomically accurate terms such as "vulva" and "vagina" has also been discouraged.
The issue of censorship of women's health content is not new, as women's health advocates Clio Wood and Anna O'Sullivan discovered in 2024 when they launched the CensHERship campaign to combat online censorship of women's health and sexual wellbeing content. Their investigation found that this type of censorship was occurring across all social media platforms.
The use of language can significantly impact the visibility of content related to women's health. For example, Bodyform, a sanitary product company, revealed a list of forty words that are commonly silenced by Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, including discharge, miscarriage, and PCOS.
This censorship of essential health information raises concerns about algorithmic bias, with women's health content being disproportionately censored compared to other health topics. The impact of this censorship on women's access to important health-related information is significant and concerning.
Meta has been criticized for its enforcement of policies and is urged to address the issue of censorship of women's health content. The importance of accessible health information for women cannot be overstated, and advocacy groups are taking a stand against these practices.
- The concerns over censorship of women's health products and information extend beyond Meta-owned platforms, as revealed by the CensHERship campaign, which discovered similar censorship practices across all social media platforms in 2024.
- The ongoing censorship of women's health content in 2025, including on Meta's platforms, is not just a health-and-wellness issue, but also a significant matter in science, politics, and general news, as it impacts women's access to crucial health-related information and resources.
