OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 20, 2025 /CNW/ - When women receive false or misleading information about their health, it is not simply an inconvenience – it can have dire consequences. If women are influenced by false information about medications or supplements or if they are not able to access trusted, evidence-based data to help them make informed decisions about their health, their safety can – and does – become compromised.
That's why the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC), supported by expert members of the SOGC's sexual and reproductive health committee, is calling out health misinformation and disinformation as a form of violence against women. It causes real harm to women and girls and undermines trust in health care providers and treatment options that are grounded in evidence and safety.
Ahead of Global Media and Information Literacy Week, the SOGC is urging all levels of government in Canada to take more concrete and aggressive steps to combat misinformation in women's health. This starts with funding efforts to close the significant gaps that exist in women's health data. The SOGC has been calling for the federal government to fund a national women's health data dashboard as a practical and low-cost solution to track outcomes, combat false information and inform evidence-based policy. Broader conversations are also needed about appropriate regulatory and policy approaches to ensure social media platforms safeguard users and limit the spread of false or harmful health information.
Civil society and the business community also have a role to play – especially those that operate or financially enable platforms and algorithms that allow misinformation to thrive. Accurate, evidence-based information about women's health must be made accessible and amplified. Investments are also needed in digital literacy and safeguards that prevent harmful content from spreading unchecked. This includes holding companies accountable for maintaining responsible advertising practices that do not prioritize clicks or revenue at the expense of accuracy and public safety.
The SOGC continues to be a trusted voice of women's health in Canada and the world. It offers a number of public education tools and resources with science-based information and advice from clinicians about sex and sexual health, contraception and family planning, abortion care, menopause, menstruation and pregnancy. For more information, visit sogc.org to access these and many other resources.
SOURCE The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada

Media Inquiries: Kelsey MacDonald, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, [email protected], 613-730-4192 x 228
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