Impacts of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Misinformation in Digital Spaces on Human Rights Protection and Promotion: Scoping Review

TL;DR

This review explores how misinformation about sexual and reproductive health spreads online and harms human rights, including decision-making and equity.

Contribution

The study maps how SRHR misinformation affects human rights across individual, community, and systemic levels through a scoping review.

Findings

SRHR misinformation influences individual health decisions and reinforces harmful social norms.

Misinformation disrupts health systems and creates barriers to equitable care.

Digital platform design and policies enable the spread of SRHR misinformation.

Abstract

Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are foundational to both individual autonomy and global well-being. Misinformation in this domain poses serious risks by undermining evidence-based decision-making, weakening systems of accountability, and perpetuating social injustices.

This scoping review aimed to map and synthesize evidence on the forms, spread, and impacts of misinformation related to SRHR in digital spaces, with a particular focus on implications for the protection and promotion of human rights.

We conducted a scoping review of scientific papers and gray literature. It was guided by the JBI (Joanna Briggs Institute) population, exposure, and outcomes framework. The extracted information was documented following the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) checklist. Thematic analysis was carried out and mapped against human rights standards: (1) equality and nondiscrimination; (2) Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability, and Quality; (3) informed decision-making; (4) privacy and confidentiality; (5) participation and inclusion; and (6) accountability.

Of the 254 eligible studies and documents, 133 focused on the information ecosystem, 37 on the individual, 32 on service delivery and health system, 31 on law and policy, and 21 on community levels. SRHR misinformation impacts individuals’ informed SRHR decisions by shaping their beliefs, attitudes, and health-seeking behaviors. It reinforces harmful and discriminatory social norms at community levels and the exclusion of marginalized voices. SRHR misinformation impacts health systems by shaping provider knowledge and practice, disrupting service delivery, and creating barriers to equitable care. It may function as a legal and policy tool to erode SRHR protections. The design of online platforms, digital marketing strategies, and content moderation policies enables misinformation to spread widely while restricting credible SRHR content.

SRHR misinformation in digital spaces is a systemic issue that undermines human rights across multiple levels, highlighting the urgent need for integrated, rights-based approaches to research, policy, and intervention.

Figures