Key Points

• 3 in 5 women say they have already made a health decision based on inaccurate information, with consequences reported in nearly 40% of cases.
• Younger women appear more exposed: a marked generational gap in digital usage and risk perception.
• Healthcare professionals remain the primary source consulted, but online content is reshaping the information environment.

Health misinformation in healthcare has become a major public‑health issue, with specific repercussions for women. The health information environment has been profoundly transformed by the Internet, social networks, and AI, in a context that the World Health Organization has described as an “ infodemic.”

The Women’s Health Barometer 2025, conducted with 1003 women representative of the French adult population, and the white paper on health misinformation, both produced by the Women in Health Collective, highlight the scale of the phenomenon and its consequences on healthcare decisions. The term “misinformation,” defined as false or erroneous information created and/or shared without malicious intent, was chosen.

Health Misinformation Exposure

Women’s central role in family health management leads them to actively seek information for themselves and their relatives: 67% consider themselves the primary parent responsible for medical tasks, notably for children. In an infodemic, this high and personal exposure increases the risk of encountering misleading information.

Tensions in the health system also increase this vulnerability: in 2023, the French averaged 3.3 medical consultations per year compared with 4.06 in 2015. This decline particularly affects women, whose specific needs — contraception, gynecologic follow-up care, maternity care, and sexual health — are more frequent. It can create a feeling of insufficient information and lead people to turn to online sources of widely varying quality.

In addition, the underrepresentation of women in clinical studies limits sex‑specific data. Many clinical guidelines still rely on male models, contributing to the underdetection of certain serious conditions, such as heart attacks.

Finally, medical education remains insufficiently adapted to specific aspects of women’s health, which can complicate the interpretation of some symptoms and lead to diagnostic delays or inappropriate treatment.

Concern About Misinformation

According to a Consumer Science & Analytics (CSA) survey, nearly 1 in 3 women is very concerned about health misinformation. About 57% of respondents say they feel adequately informed about the risks of false health information, a figure down from the previous year. Among the youngest group, aged 18-24 years, 51% say they are very concerned about false health information, but only 33% feel well informed. This concern can strongly influence trust and the quality of care.

Misleading Information’s Influence

3 in 5 French women says they have already made a health decision based on inaccurate or misleading information, with a pronounced generational gap: 67% of women aged 18-24 years report having made such a decision compared with 39% of women aged 65 years or older.

Nearly 40% of women who made a decision based on misinformation report negative consequences, notably treatment ineffectiveness or a deterioration in trust toward the information source.

The white paper notes that health misinformation can lead to diagnostic delays; lost opportunities; therapeutic misuse; recourse to unproven practices; and anxiety, confusion, and distrust of institutions.

Still Central, but Challenged Health Professionals

The 2025 CSA survey also shows that when women are asked a question about their health, they first consult a health professional (66%), then the internet, AI, or social media (19%), an institutional source (7%), and their close contacts (5%).

Among women aged 25-34 years, digital sources are more often consulted first (29%), although health professionals remain the majority choice (42%).

The youngest women, aged 18-24 years, consult close contacts about their health more often (18% vs 5% on average).

Published scientific references; public agencies such as Ameli and the French National Authority for Health; and academic training are perceived as the most credible sources by respondents. Nevertheless, credibility accorded to influencers or nonmedical personalities — while a minority view overall — is significantly higher among younger women.

Information-Education Strategy

The results underscore the importance of perceived source credibility and the impact of misinformation on health decisions. They argue for strengthened education in both health and information literacy, particularly among young women. The generational gap should be considered in prevention and communication policies.

The white paper emphasizes the need to act across the entire information environment: developing critical thinking and health literacy, and strengthening transliteracy — the ability to find and evaluate information across different platforms.

This story has been translated from Univadis France, part of the Medscape Professional Network.