Medical tests are marketed on social media as a way to empower people to take control of their health, but experts are warning to be wary of the harms influencers don\u2019t mention.<\/p>\n
Three controversial tests \u2013 full-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans<\/a>, blood tests for testosterone levels<\/a> and the Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) or \u201cegg-timer\u201d test<\/a>, which surveys a woman\u2019s egg count \u2013 are the focus of a campaign backed by the University of Sydney based on its own research<\/a> trying to combat misinformation online.<\/p>\n All three tests carry the risk of over-diagnosis, leading healthy people to seek out interventions they may not have ever needed, says Dr Brooke Nickel, a senior research fellow at the Sydney Health<\/a> Literacy Lab \u2013 the team behind the initiative.<\/p>\n The people spruiking these tests would have you believe information is power \u2013 but what\u2019s being left out of the narrative getting spun on social media?<\/p>\n Is a full-body MRI necessary?<\/p>\n Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton are among those to have spruiked this scan<\/a>, encouraging people to do it in the name of early detection of disease, particularly cancer. Internationally, wellness and longevity clinics are \u201cpopping up every day\u201d which market the scan (which can cost upwards of $800) to healthy people as a \u201cholistic whole body check\u201d, Nickel says.<\/p>\n However, leading medical bodies, including the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists<\/a>, have specifically recommended against doing it because there is no evidence of significant improvements in health outcomes for healthy people.<\/p>\n Instead, there is the risk in people who don\u2019t have any symptoms that the test can pick up \u201cincidental findings\u201d, Nickel says. In a condition like cancer, this can mean catching very early forms of disease that are unlikely to cause any symptoms or problems in the long term but knowledge of which can do more harm than good, leading to anxiety and unnecessary treatments including radiotherapy and major surgery<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n What is an AMH test, and what are the risks?<\/p>\n \u201cThe AMH test is being marketed as a test of women\u2019s fertility when it actually can\u2019t tell a healthy woman what their chances are of conceiving or what their reproductive timeline is,\u201d Nickel says. The test can be useful in IVF treatment in women who have signs of infertility, but research has shown it is not a reliable sign of fertility in the general population<\/a>.<\/p>\n The harms of women taking the test are primarily psychological, Nickel says, as it \u201cpreys on the vulnerability of women\u201d of reproductive age and can lead to a false sense of time frames. \u201cIt can be pretty detrimental to be told you may not have enough eggs left and you need to speed up your reproductive timeline, or otherwise that they\u2019re fine when in reality there might be other underlying issues.\u201d<\/p>\n It can also lead to downstream implications, such as undergoing the expensive process of elective egg-freezing or having IVF when it may not be warranted, Nickel says.<\/p>\n Why are testosterone tests harmful?<\/p>\n Testosterone tests are often marketed to men as a way to check whether they have an \u201coptimal\u201d level of the hormone<\/a>, Nickel says. The test is potentially harmful because it is closely linked to the promotion of testosterone supplementation, which can lead to negative side effects, she says.<\/p>\n In healthy men who don\u2019t need it, the supplement carries a risk of blood clotting and impairing fertility , and there is also evidence for potential links to heart conditions.<\/p>\n How are people getting access?<\/p>\n