Advertising Restrictions and Content Guidelines on Various Media Platforms are Having Detrimental Effects on Women’s Health
The sanitised and euphemistic nature of mass advertising of women’s health issues is creating a significant public health concern by limiting their access to crucial health information.
Jackie Rotman, CEO and founder of the Center for Intimacy Justice, highlights the issue:
“Whether it’s alcohol or underwear or cars, our culture is used to seeing so many examples of ads in which women’s bodies are being sexualised to sell something else. But when it’s actually about agency over our bodies, that information is extremely suppressed.”
In this article, we will evaluate several factors of the censorship:
The Contradiction in Content Guidelines
While platforms allow sexualized images of women, they frequently reject ads that depict genuine health experiences, such as pain or aspects of women’s lives which aren’t necessarily glamourous.
The inconsistency in content approval, where relevant and important health products are censored under broad and often ambiguous guidelines, is the biggest roadblock in addressing women’s health topics on social media.
Rotman explains that algorithms and content guidelines often block essential information about vaginal and breast health. If anyone is to be blamed for this disparity, it is the policies set by companies to limit this type of content on their platforms.
Social media sites and television networks enforce content guidelines that reflect a cautious approach toward women’s health content.
The Struggle for Marketing Space
Advertising policies of major platforms reflect a cautious approach toward women’s health content. Though the boundaries are set, still the content regarding women’s health is censored and removed or flagged as inappropriate.
The double standards of what kind of nudity is accepted and what isn’t depending more on the brand or company endorsing it.
Let us look at some examples of how women’s health issues are struggling to find a marketing space for their products:
ABC Network Censoring a Postpartum Advertisement
For instance, ABC’s 2023 guidelines permit advertising intimate products only in a “sensitive and tasteful manner” and under scheduling restrictions. In 2019, ABC declined to air an ad during the Academy Awards that showed a postpartum woman using the restroom, despite containing no nudity.
The ad depicted the raw reality of postpartum recovery, a topic often sanitised or ignored in mainstream media.
Amazon
Amazon’s policy prohibits ads showing fully visible intimate body parts but allows partial nudity if relevant to the product. Yet, a product to relieve breast pain was flagged as inappropriate due to its packaging illustration of a breast.
Social media platforms like Instagram have strict guidelines prohibiting nudity but make exceptions for contexts like breastfeeding and health-related situations. However, ads for fertility and breast health products are frequently censored.
Meta
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has faced criticism for its restrictive policies on female reproductive health content.
A report by the Center for Intimacy Justice accused Meta of biased algorithms that favour male reproductive health ads.
Despite policy updates, Meta continues to reject many women’s health advertisements.
What is the Impact of Censorship on Women’s Health?
When ads and informational content about women’s health are censored, it creates a significant barrier to awareness and education.
Chloe Bird, director of the Center for Health Equity Research at Tufts Medical Center, emphasises the need for accessible and clear health information:
“You have to be able to disseminate information about women’s health at a level that can be understood. And if it’s all innuendo, if it’s all abbreviated, then it’s not possible to get a message across.”
The lack of accessible information extends beyond advertising into online searches and social media.
Rotman points out that:
“When it comes to access to health information for people who are going through different life experiences, there’s such a dearth of information available. That type of information is already lacking in the doctor’s office, and then they can’t get it online, because they don’t even realise that certain keywords and search terms are hidden from them.”
What are the Real Health Implications of Censorship on Women?
Censorship of women’s health content leads to significant real-world consequences.
The suppression of information about women’s health is not just an inconvenience—it can have life-threatening consequences.
When women lack access to information about their bodies and health, they are less likely to seek timely medical advice or intervention. This delay can result in more severe health problems and reduced quality of life.
A report by Canada’s Alberta Women’s Health Foundation found that this lack of awareness causes women to ignore or minimise symptoms until aggressive treatment is necessary.
Taboos around issues like menstruation symptoms and bladder control reduce awareness and delay medical intervention, resulting in worse health outcomes.
For instance, conditions like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are often misunderstood and misdiagnosed. Women suffering from these conditions may struggle for years without proper treatment, leading to chronic pain, infertility, and other serious health issues.
Without accurate information and awareness, these women might not even realise that their symptoms are part of a treatable condition.
The Need for Change
Efforts to increase the visibility of women’s health issues over the past 50 years have made strides, but censorship remains a barrier in front of women with the mission to dispel the gender health gap.
There is also a cultural lag in accepting open discussions about women’s health.
As people begin to talk more openly about these topics, the rules and norms around advertising and information dissemination must also evolve.
However, funding and science alone cannot close the women’s health gap. This is what Chloe Bird asserts.
She argues that more women need to be involved in decision-making at these companies to ensure that women have access to technologies and information on improving health and understanding medication differences.
This requires a concerted effort from policymakers, healthcare providers, and media companies to prioritise women’s health information.
The real health implications of censorship are profound, leading to delayed diagnoses, inadequate treatment, and a lack of awareness about critical health issues.
It is time to prioritise women’s health by ensuring that accurate, comprehensive, and accessible information is available to all.
