'We got penalised for saying 'pregnancy' on Instagram'
Creators say women's health content is getting them shadowbanned on social media. So what's really happening?
By BBC News
A women’s health business says its Instagram advertising was restricted after using the word “pregnancy”, leaving the company facing a significant financial loss.
Irene Breen said Instagram removed adverts for her company’s pregnancy pillows in January 2025. She was later told during a call with Meta, Instagram’s parent company, that the word “pregnancy” was the problem.
The business then removed the word from its website, product name and web addresses. Breen said it took 10 months of discussions with Meta before the restrictions were lifted.
Women’s health creators, charities and businesses have also reported posts being removed, placed behind sensitivity filters or having their reach reduced. The practice of limiting a post’s visibility without clearly notifying its creator is commonly known as shadowbanning.
A report by CensHERship, which surveyed almost 200 creators, healthcare providers, health brands, charities and educators, found that 96% said they had experienced some form of restriction.
Sensitivity filters can blur posts and require users to press a button before viewing them. They are generally associated with content such as nudity or violence, but women’s health organisations said legitimate educational material had also been affected.
The report said the number of respondents who had self-censored because of suspected shadowbanning rose from 53% in 2025 to 65% this year. Some said they had started using terms such as “seggs” instead of “sex”, replacing words with symbols or avoiding certain subjects altogether.
Meta said businesses can advertise wellness, sexual health and reproductive products and services on its platforms. However, it said restrictions were in place to prevent users in different countries and cultures having a negative experience.
The company declined to comment on individual cases, but said it allows women’s health content and is consulting women’s health organisations about improving its systems.