Risky ‘abortion’ herb tips shown on TikTok horrify experts. ‘Going to kill people’
EDITOR’S NOTE: McClatchy News is not showing or linking to the TikTok videos to avoid spreading misinformation.
Dangerous information is sprouting on TikTok about herbal methods used to cause abortions, and experts are rushing to warn about the risks.
In the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, social media users have spurred conversations about alternative methods for terminating pregnancies — and spread tips that could be fatal, experts say.
“People are trying to find answers and solutions in navigating this space between uncertainty and Supreme Court rulings,” Josh Trebach, an emergency medicine physician, told Rolling Stone. “My biggest concern is that these home remedies, these DIY herbal plant abortions, are being viewed as an alternative to medical treatment and that is not correct.”
Trebach shared his fears on Twitter after he saw one TikTok indicating that women could buy herbs such as mugwort, or pennyroyal oil, to end a pregnancy.
“This is incredibly dangerous,” Trebach wrote on Twitter. “(Pennyroyal) can cause liver failure, seizures and death.”
The misinformation dates back to before Roe v. Wade was overturned, and even TikTok creators who don’t directly advocate for herbs such as pennyroyal to be used for abortion purposes find themselves in conversations among commenters that propel the information forward.
“So many plants and herbs with abortive strength,” one commenter posted with a heart on @theloresofnature’s TikTok about the popularity, and dangers, of the oil in 2021.
“It’s amazing how women have always managed to survive in the face of adversity with things like this,” the creator responded.
Another user, @passtheflamingo, shared the historic usage of Rue in the Roman era, adding that it was used as an abortifacient, but he wouldn’t recommend it.
“This is very useful information given the times we are in,” one commenter wrote on the video in early July.
Jen Gunter, an OB-GYN, warned The New York Times that following dated abortion methods is similar to using outdated and disproved technology in the modern century.
“Using this kind of information from thousands of years ago is no different than taking a map from when people believed the Earth was flat and that we had sea monsters and using it to plot modern shipping routes,” Gunter said.
Pennyroyal oil has a history of use as an abortion method, according to the National Capitol Poison Center, but experts warn that being a natural herb doesn’t make it less dangerous.
“Herbal medicines are often thought of as ’natural,’ and many people assume that ‘natural’ means ’safe.’ This can be a dangerous belief, as is seen with pennyroyal oil,” Serkalem Mekonnen, a certified specialist in poison information, wrote on the NCPC website. “Young women have died from attempting to induce abortion using pennyroyal oil. Infants have been severely sickened after they were given teas made with pennyroyal thought to be mint.”
Other herablists are taking to TikTok to counter information about pennyroyal oil and other herbs at the source, including Leslie Rae @_leslierae.
“I have seen so much misinformation on this app in the last couple days in terms of herbalism that it is sickening,” Rae said in a TikTok. “I am not taking away from the importance of using abortifacient herbs and emergency contraceptive herbs because our ancestors were doing it … but when you get online and you’re telling people, ‘Oh, you can take X, Y and Z to end a pregnancy,’ do you know how to prepare that herb? Do you know how to dose it? Do you know what parts of the plant to use?”
Although herbal methods of abortion have been around for centuries, the fact that social media spreads information so rapidly is what scares Mary Jane Minkin, who works as a gynecologist and clinical professor at Yale, according to Rolling Stone.
“I’m horrified. They’re going to kill people,” Minkin told Rolling Stone about the misinformation on TikTok and other platforms. “It’s terrifying because 49 years ago, that’s how women died.”
Minkin told Rolling Stone she recommended that people contact their healthcare providers when possible about pregnancy and abortion concerns and should reach out to local Planned Parenthood representatives to navigate their situation safely.
“Some people may turn to unsafe abortion methods when they feel they have no other option or based on information they are gathering on social media,” Nisha Verma, an OB-GYN, told The New York Times. “It is important for people to understand that social media posts can be unreliable and can propagate misinformation.”
This story was originally published July 13, 2022 at 11:17 AM with the headline "Risky ‘abortion’ herb tips shown on TikTok horrify experts. ‘Going to kill people’."
