It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Majority of 117 surveyed Georgia women would support abortion at 14 weeks, beyond current legal limit
Georgia’s state policy, which limits abortion to 6 weeks, does not reflect that a small sample of reproductive-age women support abortion access during early pregnancy authors say
Among a cross-sectional group of women of reproductive age in Georgia, 76% supported the legality of abortion access at six weeks and 60% supported it at 14 weeks, according to a new study published November 12, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Stephanie Eick of Emory University, U.S. The current state policy, effective since July 2022, limits abortion to six weeks.
Abortion, defined as a medical intervention that terminates a pregnancy, is one of the most consistently debated legislative issues in the United States, and policies surrounding the specifications and limitations of abortion care vary by state.
In the new study, researchers surveyed 177 English-speaking women aged 18-40 living in Georgia about their views on abortion generally and at specific gestational ages (6, 14, and 24 weeks). Participants were recruited using targeted social media ads, and were also asked about their political orientation, religious characteristics, geographic location, and demographic factors.
The researchers found that most participants (84%) supported the legality of abortion in all or most cases generally. However, that support decreased for specific gestational ages: 76% supported abortion at 6 weeks, 60% at 14 weeks, and 31% at 24 weeks. Women identifying as conservative or moderates had 10 times higher odds of thinking abortion should be generally illegal compared to liberals. Those who attended weekly religious services had 7 times higher odds of thinking abortion should be illegal and those residing outside the Atlanta metro area had 6 times higher odds of thinking abortion should be illegal or that it depends. Notably, these differences between groups diminished as pregnancy progressed, with more consensus emerging around 24 weeks (typical age of fetal viability).
The study was limited by a relatively small sample size, and by possible sample selection bias leading to a heavily liberal and Atlanta-based study population: this challenges the generalizability of the results. However, the authors conclude that most women in the sample generally support abortion access. The study did not specifically ask how participants felt regarding the state’s current policy of restricting abortion beyond six weeks of pregnancy.
The authors add: “In this study of reproductive age women in Georgia, we found that opinions regarding whether abortion should be legal were nuanced. While most participants in our study generally supported abortion access, fewer participants supported abortion access after 24 weeks gestation (2nd trimester). It should also be noted the generalizability of our study is limited by recruiting participants using social media, and that most participants lived in metropolitan Atlanta.”
please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS One: http://plos.io/47nzk3R
Citation: Chandler M, Darville JA, Eick SM (2025) Determinants of abortion views among reproductive age women in Georgia 2023–2024. PLoS One 20(11): e0335370. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0335370
Author countries: U.S.
Funding: This work was funded by the JPB Environmental Health Fellowship Program granted by The JPB Foundation and managed by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Credit: American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
ORLANDO (Nov. 6, 2025) – From rare tick-borne meat allergy to everyday asthma, millions of people turn to social media for health advice. But new research being presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting in Orlando reveals that while these platforms give patients a voice, they also amplify misinformation – and posts that get the most attention are often not the most accurate.
One study looked at social media videos about alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), a growing condition caused by Lone Star tick bites that can trigger severe allergic reactions to meat. Researchers analyzed the top 100 videos under the hashtag “alphagal” and found that only 15 were created by physicians – and most of the doctors were not allergists. Despite this, physician-made videos received more likes and comments than those from non-physicians, which tended to be shorter and anecdotal. The findings highlight the potential power of allergists to share accurate, relatable information in a space where patients are eager to engage.
“Alpha-gal is confusing for patients, and many turn to social media for guidance,” said allergist Nadia Hamid, MD, ACAAI member and lead author of the study. “While personal stories are valuable, there’s also a lot of misinformation. When allergists and other doctors step in, their content resonates – suggesting a real opportunity to improve public understanding.”
A second study examined TikTok videos about asthma, a more common condition. Of the 40 most-liked English-language videos posted in 2024 under #asthma, more than one in four contained inaccurate or misleading claims. Among the most concerning myths: that asthma can be cured with breathing exercises or that caffeine combined with asthma inhalers could be fatal. Alarmingly, these misleading, inaccurate videos were more popular, receiving over three times as many likes as accurate ones.
Most asthma-related videos were created by non-physicians, and overall quality scores were low. According to the researchers, this reflects both the popularity of anecdotal health content and the relative scarcity of physician voices on the platform.
“TikTok and other platforms offer incredible opportunities to reach patients where they are,” said Ishitha Jagadish, MD, medical resident and lead author of the study. “But right now, misinformation about asthma is not only widespread, it’s more engrossing than accurate content. We need more allergy and asthma experts online to present science-based, engaging content.”
Together, the two studies underscore both the promise and the pitfalls of social media as a health information source. Patient stories can provide comfort and community, but without the presence of medical experts, myths spread quickly – and can influence health behaviors in dangerous ways.
Abstract Title: The Tick Talks: A Qualitative Analysis of #AlphaGal Content on a Social Video Sharing Platform (Full abstract below)
For more information about diagnosis and treatment of allergies and asthma, or to find an allergist in your area, visit AllergyandAsthmaRelief.org. The ACAAI Annual Scientific Meeting is Nov. 6-10. For more news and research from the ACAAI Scientific Meeting, go to our newsroom and follow the conversation on X/Twitter #ACAAI25.
About ACAAI
The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) is a professional medical organization of more than 6,000 allergists-immunologists and allied health professionals, headquartered in Arlington Heights, Ill. Founded in 1942, the College fosters a culture of collaboration and congeniality in which its members work together and with others toward the common goals of patient care, education, advocacy, and research. ACAAI allergists are board-certified physicians trained to diagnose allergies and asthma, administer immunotherapy, and provide patients with the best treatment outcomes. For more information and to find relief, visit AllergyandAsthmaRelief.org. Join us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Threads and X.
R036 THE TICK TALKS: A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF #ALPHAGAL CONTENT ON A SOCIAL VIDEO SHARING PLATFORM
N. Hamid *1, N. LaGrega2, M. Love (F)1, 1. Kansas City, KS;2. Columbia, MO.
Introduction: Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is an emerging, tick-borne condition in which individuals develop hypersensitivity reactions to galactose-α-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal), a carbohydrate found in non-primate mammalian meat following a tick bite. As awareness grows, social media has become a popular platform for patient storytelling, peer education, and even medical misinformation. Here, we analyzed themes, accuracy, and engagement patterns of AGS social media videos to identify opportunities for public health communication.
Methods: AGS, english-language videos on a single social media platform were analyzed. The top 100 videos from the hashtag query "alphagal” were analyzed. Videos were coded using a structured rubric for author source, thematic content, and engagement metrics (video length, likes, comments).
Results: A total of 5,572 videos were available with the hashtags “alphagal”, “alphagalsyndrome”, and “alphagalallergy. There were 9 hours, 8 minutes of content. Only 15 of the top 100 videos were created by physicians, most of whom were not allergists (more than 50%). Physician videos averaged 2:32 minutes in length, 31,526 likes, and 830 comments - demonstrating higher engagement than the 85 videos by nonphysicians, which averaged 1:55 minutes, 9,219 likes, 202 comments and were mostly anecdotal. Aside from allergists, there were videos made by physicians in gastroenterology, cardiology, orthopedic surgery, family medicine, emergency medicine, pediatrics, and psychiatry. Conclusion: Social media content related to AGS reflects valuable patient narratives but is also a source of misinformation. Clinician engagement, particularly by allergists, presents an important opportunity for accurate, empathetic public education on this complex and growing allergic disease.
I. Jagadish*1, M. Mohammad2, R. Ablao2, A. Gonzalez-Estrada3, 1. Phoenix, AZ;2. Chandler, AZ;3. Scottsdale, AZ.
Introduction: TikTok is an increasingly influential platform for health information, including asthma content. While it offers novel educational opportunities, it also spreads misinformation that may jeopardize patient safety. This study evaluates the accuracy, quality, and engagement of high-visibility TikTok videos about asthma and identifies recurring misconceptions compared to evidence-based guidelines. Methods: A cross-sectional content analysis was performed on English-language TikTok videos under the hashtag #asthma, posted between January and December 2024. The 40 most-liked videos with at least 40 likes were included. Videos were independently reviewed by two Internal Medicine residents using the Global Quality Score (GQS) and a modified DISCERN tool. Content was categorized by creator type and video theme. DISCERN scores were grouped as Low (≤32), Moderate (33-50), or High (51-75). Engagement metrics (likes, comments, shares) were compared between accurate and misleading videos. Cohen’s kappa assessed interrater reliability. Results: Eleven videos (26%) contained partially or fully inaccurate information. Common myths included claims that asthma can be cured with breathing exercises or that caffeine combined with asthma inhalers may cause death. Misleading videos received higher median likes (1,266) than accurate ones (375). Most videos (78%) were created by non-physicians, while only 22% were made by physicians. The mean GQS was 3.02 and the mean DISCERN score was 31.80, with Cohen’s kappa of 0.16 and 0.30, respectively. Conclusions: Asthma-related misinformation is prevalent on TikTok and tends to receive more engagement than accurate content. Greater clinician presence on social media is needed to promote evidence-based asthma education.
Journal
Annals of Allergy Asthma & Immunology
Method of Research
Data/statistical analysis
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
THE TICK TALKS: A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF #ALPHAGAL CONTENT ON A SOCIAL VIDEO SHARING PLATFORM
Article Publication Date
6-Nov-2025
Tuesday, November 04, 2025
Demographic shifts could boost drug-resistant infections across Europe
Aging populations are expected to fuel an increased rate of drug-resistant bacterial bloodstream infections in Europe between now and 2030
Credit: Anthony Lewis (www.anthony-lewis.com), PLOS, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
The rates of bloodstream infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria will increase substantially across Europe in the next five years, driven largely by aging populations, according to a new paper published November 4th in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine by Gwenan Knight of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK, and colleagues.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health crisis. To effectively target interventions and track progress toward international goals, accurately estimating how the AMR burden will change over time is necessary.
In the new study, researchers analyzed data from more than 12 million routine blood tests for bacterial infection susceptibility in 29 European countries between 2010 and 2019. They used these data to generate incidence rates of these infections and predict how rates of drug-resistant bloodstream infections may change through 2050, accounting for projected population changes.
The researchers found that bloodstream infection rates are predicted to increase, with varying burdens by country and by bacteria-antibiotic combination. Rates are expected to rise more in men than women across six of the eight bacteria studied, and are projected to increase more dramatically in older age groups (74+ years) while stabilizing or declining in younger populations. Models that don't account for age and sex may miss a large part of the future burden, especially among men and older adults, the authors note. Even with strong public health interventions, achieving a 10% reduction in resistant infections by 2030 (aligned with UN targets) was only possible for about two-thirds of bacteria-antibiotic combinations, the study concluded.
Gwenan Knight adds, “Our study shows that the future burden of drug-resistant infections won’t be uniform—there will be substantial differences between countries, as well as across age groups and between sexes. We see the steepest increases in incidence projected in older age groups, particularly the over 65s, meaning that simply preventing further rises in resistant bloodstream infections would already be a major public health achievement.”
“What I found most interesting was bringing together different strands of data to show the bigger picture. Age and sex are still rarely considered in antimicrobial resistance projections, yet they make a real difference to who is most affected. Combining these factors with demographic and infection trends really highlighted how challenging it will be to reverse the steady rise in bloodstream infections across Europe.”
Coauthor Catrin Moore states, “This is a fantastic step forward in understanding the way that age and sex will influence the burden of drug-resistant infections in different European countries in the coming years. This will help us design intervention studies focusing on the populations most at risk in the future to reduce the mortality and morbidity associated with drug resistant infections.”
In your coverage, please use this URL to provide access to the freely available paper in PLOS Medicine: https://plos.io/3Jc5WWd
Citation: Waterlow NR, Chandler CIR, Cooper BS, Moore CE, Robotham JV, Sartorius B, et al. (2025) Combining demographic shifts with age-based resistance prevalence to estimate future antimicrobial resistance burden in Europe and implications for targets: A modelling study. PLoS Med 22(11): e1004579. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004579
