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Rise of online misinformation fuels contraception doubts
Sex educator Milly Evans spent six months hesitating over a hormonal intrauterine system (IUS) after seeing alarming posts on social media. Despite her professional expertise, the 26-year-old questioned whether the device was safe for her body.
Evans is not alone. Many women in their 20s report encountering a surge of content warning against hormonal birth control methods like the pill, coil, and implant. These posts often fall into two categories: personal accounts of side effects and deliberate misinformation linking contraception to ideological beliefs.
Ideological narratives amplify fears
Evans, an accredited educator for six years, describes much of the misleading content as having a "right-wing, religious, largely American" slant. Posts frequently frame hormonal contraception as contrary to "clean living" or "divine femininity."
Manchester resident Lauren, 25, follows wellness influencers who label hormonal birth control as "unnatural." Though she credits the combined pill with managing her premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)-a severe form of PMS-she says the criticism makes her question her choice. "It invalidates my positive experience," she says.
Viral horror stories overshadow benefits
In the U.S., social media posts vilifying hormonal contraception have proliferated. One viral image shows a new mother holding her unplanned baby, with a 17-year-old asking for birth control advice. A top comment, liked over 800 times, declares: "Birth control is so bad for you."
Psychosexual therapist Evie Plumb warns that even individuals claiming medical credentials spread misinformation online. Some claims, like the idea that the pill "shrinks your clitoris," stem from small, flawed studies taken out of context, says Dr. Fran Yarlett, medical director at women's health platform The Lowdown.
UK clinics see growing skepticism
The trend isn't confined to the U.S. London GP Jenny Dhingra reports increased patient aversion to hormonal contraception in recent years, with many citing fears stoked by social media. While the NHS lists common side effects-headaches, nausea, mood swings-it notes these often subside over time. Serious risks, like blood clots and breast cancer, remain very low.
Professor Jenny Hall of UCL acknowledges data suggesting a decline in hormonal contraception use. A 2023 study found fewer women using these methods to prevent pregnancy between 2018 and 2023, based on abortion-seeker data in England and Wales. Another review concluded that negative side effects dominate social media discussions, overshadowing benefits.
Fertility apps fill the gap but carry risks
As skepticism grows, fertility tracking apps are gaining traction. Unlike prescription methods, they can advertise freely on UK social media. Some influencers promote them as a "natural" alternative, using cycle data to predict fertile windows.
However, experts caution these apps-often designed for period tracking or conception-are unreliable for pregnancy prevention. "They shouldn't be relied upon," warns Kayla Healey of MSI Reproductive Choices.
Balancing risks and benefits
While hormonal contraception can cause side effects, experts emphasize its benefits. Healey notes it can alleviate heavy periods, PMS, and conditions like endometriosis. Yet, as Evans observes, positive experiences rarely go viral. "People gravitate toward extreme negative stories," she says.
Hall adds that frustration over dismissed side effects and the "contraceptive burden" borne by women fuels distrust. With no male hormonal options currently available, some feel their concerns are ignored.
Evans ultimately proceeded with the IUS after consulting a healthcare professional. Her Instagram post about the experience drew messages from others relieved to see a counter-narrative. "Very real frustrations" about contraception, she says, are being co-opted by anti-birth control campaigners who oppose women's reproductive autonomy.
