Semaglutide and social media: implications for young women with polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Semaglutide (sold under the brand name Ozempic) is rapidly gaining popularity on social media among women with polycystic ovarian syndrome who are trying to lose weight. Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist and antidiabetic prescription medication primarily used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes; however, it is readily available to buy online through digital pharmacies and weight loss services. The increasing interest in semaglutide is symptomatic of the dire lack of appropriate and effective care for women with polycystic ovarian syndrome and should be of concern to health professionals as interest in and demand for off-label and unsupervised use of semaglutide increase. Children and young people are particularly vulnerable given their substantial exposure to and widespread use of social media platforms such as TikTok. 1 Center for Countering Digital HateDeadly by design. https://counterhate.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/CCDH-Deadly-by-Design_120922.pdfDate: Dec 9, 2022 Date accessed: February 10, 2023 Google Scholar Moreover, although a randomised controlled trial in 2022 showed the efficacy of semaglutide for weight loss in adolescents (aged 12–18 years) with obesity, 2 Weghuber D Barrett T Barrientos-Pérez M et al. Once-weekly semaglutide in adolescents with obesity. N Engl J Med. 2022; 387: 2245-2257 Crossref PubMed Scopus (26) Google Scholar evidence on the long-term risks and outcomes of the medication is scarce.