I’ve been a sex educator for six years. Why did I start doubting my contraception choices?
I’ve been a sex educator for six years. Why did I start doubting my contraception choices?
Milly Evans, a seasoned sex educator with six years of experience, has encountered a shift in her perspective regarding hormonal contraception. Recently, as she prepared to undergo an intrauterine system (IUS) procedure, she began questioning whether it was the optimal method for her body. Social media had become a constant stream of arguments against hormonal birth control, leading her to hesitate for six months before finally booking the appointment.
Evans admits that some of the content she consumed was persuasive enough to make her doubt her prior knowledge. “Certain claims felt so strong that they made me rethink what I believed to be factual,” she explains. This phenomenon isn’t isolated—many young women in their twenties who are active online report similar experiences. Discussions often fall into two camps: personal accounts of side effects and deliberate sharing of misleading information, which frequently ties hormones to ideological views.
Lauren Haslam, a 25-year-old from Manchester, is among those affected. She follows fitness and wellness influencers and has grown frustrated by their tendency to portray hormonal contraception as “unnatural” and harmful. Despite four years of using the combined pill, which has significantly improved her symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder, she feels her positive experience is being undermined by such narratives.
Spread of Misinformation in the US
Across the Atlantic, the United States has seen a surge in social media content attacking hormonal contraception. A recent post by a new mother, who held her unplanned child, sparked over 800 likes with a comment declaring, “Birth control is so bad for you.” Another user dismissed contraception as “sucks,” while another expressed how the pill caused their depression. Even some with medical backgrounds are contributing to this discourse, as noted by psychosexual therapist Evie Plumb.
Dr. Fran Yarlett, medical director at the Lowdown, acknowledges that while some claims are outright incorrect, others stem from studies with questionable methods. For instance, the idea that the pill “shrinks your clitoris” is often cited without proper context. These narratives, she notes, can distort the broader understanding of contraception’s effects.
Impact on Real-World Decisions
The debate isn’t confined to online platforms. In the UK, London GP Jenny Dhingra has observed growing resistance among patients, with some citing fears of side effects after exposure to social media content. She emphasizes that while the NHS lists common side effects—such as headaches, nausea, and mood swings—as generally temporary, the perception of risk has shifted.
According to Jenny Hall, a UCL professor of reproductive health, NHS data might not fully capture the trend. It doesn’t account for women accessing the pill through pharmacies or those using long-acting devices without frequent replacements. Despite these gaps, evidence suggests a decline in hormonal contraception use. A study from last year noted a reduction in its proportion among women seeking abortions in England and Wales between 2018 and 2023.
Furthermore, a review of multiple studies highlighted that negative side effects are disproportionately emphasized on social media compared to the benefits of contraception. The result is a viral effect, where alarming stories overshadow balanced information, influencing real-world decisions.