A leading women’s health expert has expressed concerns that a proposed social media ban for under-16s in the UK could prevent young people from accessing crucial information on issues like menstruation.
Dame Professor Lesley Regan, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Imperial College London, told the Women and Equalities Committee that banning social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram could leave young people “in the dark” on important health topics.
“There’s always a little girl that tells me the same story… about a ‘best friend’ who woke up and thought she had died and gone to hell [when there] was blood all over the bed,” Regan said. “I just think we can’t live in a society where 10 and 11-year-olds have that sort of fear.”
The government is currently consulting on introducing an Australian-style social media ban for under-16s, as part of a series of measures intended to “protect young people’s wellbeing.” However, Regan warned that policing such a ban would be difficult, and argued that “high-quality, evidence-based information” needs to be readily available to young people.
Regan, who chairs the charity Wellbeing of Women, also highlighted how the organisation always ensures that boys are included in their school-based education sessions on periods. She said that in the past, some headteachers had tried to exclude boys, but Wellbeing of Women’s response was: “Well, if you don’t bring the boys along to the session at the end, then we ain’t coming.”
Esther Ghey
