TikTok is reinventing healthcare. Should you trust it?

TikTok is reinventing healthcare by moving medical education from clinics into mass social feeds, and the article questions whether users should trust it. Monica Carter, a Washington, D.C.-based nurse practitioner specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, says she discusses conditions on TikTok to her 15,000 followers, including trichomonas, which she describes as a sexually transmitted parasite. Her posts, such as one that drew more than 36,500 likes, emphasize that topics like menopause, perimenopause, and IUDs are generating major engagement. Carter says she aims to provide evidence-based education rather than direct medical advice, and that followers sometimes report their doctors never explained issues as clearly. The piece cites Pew Research Center data that about 41% of major health and wellness influencers are credentialed clinicians. Experts including Yale’s Matthew Facciani warn that misinformation can still shape decisions.