Navigating #birthcontrol on social media is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.
In one video, a woman turns around to reveal dramatic weight gain, blaming birth control pills. In another, healthcare providers (HCPs) perform a choreographed dance holding vaginal rings. A third post says: “Contraceptives make you date shitty men.”
Social media makes it easy to send a message (any message, really) to the world, but the media has long influenced conversations about women’s health.
Melissa Jordan, a registered nurse, said she remembers the much-publicized 2002 Women’s Health Initiative study that incorrectly said taking estrogen causes breast cancer. The results of the poorly conducted study dominated the news and scared millions of women away from safe and effective treatments. Hormone therapy. Jordan said some women still believe those results because there is a lot of misinformation about women’s health, especially on social media.
“There is little [accurate] information or education about menopause. I can only imagine that there is even less attention to sexual health and birth control,” Jordan said.
On the one hand, social networks offer greater accessibility to information in general. Investigation shows that some women, especially younger ones, search social networks for information about important topics such as birth control.
But how do you know that what you are hearing is true? And worse yet, what if it isn’t?
Social media influencers and contraceptives
“Misinformation and disinformation about birth control and sexual health abounds on social media,” she said. Raegan McDonald-Mosley, MD, MPHnonprofit organization executive director Power to decide.
It can be even more difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction when the information appears to be coming from a trusted friend. Social media influencers (people with large followers) can play a role in changing opinions on birth control. And negative personal experiences can lead people to spread misinformation.
For example, one study found that influencers who had a negative tone about hormonal contraceptives exaggerated the risks and side effects compared to non-hormonal options.
“Readers should be concerned because hormonophobia [fear about hormones based on irrational causes] can fuel misinformation and prevent women from making informed decisions about reproductive health care,” said study author Emily Pfender, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Delaware.
Other study co-authored with Pfender found that influencers who talked about stopping hormonal contraceptives were not talking about replacement options. “This sends a message to viewers that birth control use is not important and could promote risky behavior,” Pfender said. “When influencers started using a new birth control method, most of the time they were fertility awareness-based methods, which have high error rates and require specific knowledge to use correctly.”
Social networks and shared decision making
When it comes to making health decisions for your sexual and reproductive health, it is important to know the source behind the information you are receiving.
When in doubt, McDonald-Mosley recommended asking yourself the following questions:
- Is the information coming from a credible medical source or provider?
- Can you find the same information on another reliable resource?
- When was the information you are seeing published?
- Does the person’s perspective seem too biased or political?
Robyn Faye, MDobstetrician-gynecologist and member of HealthyWomen’s Women’s Health Advisory Council, said he turns to his trusted social network, science, when patients raise questionable theories. “I’ll look up the latest articles in the CDC database and show you the information I have,” she said. “I literally just have to argue the point and, in most cases, it works.”
Faye noted that most healthcare providers want to have an open conversation about the strange things they read on social media. They want to take the time to share information and ask questions. This leads to shared decision-making and finding the best contraceptive option that works for you, your health, and your reproductive goals.
Still, it can be difficult to change someone’s mind if they have a strong opinion about what they’ve read online. “This is absolutely fine,” Faye said. But she cautioned against giving too much importance to people who don’t know each other.
Misinformation on social media can have a dangerous effect on women’s health. But it does not have to be like that. Knowledge is power, and confirming any information or concerns with your doctor can help you see the big picture, not just a small square.
McDonald-Mosley said many people lack general knowledge about sexual and reproductive health because they never learned about it in school or in the community. This is where the positive effects of social media channels can shine in bridging the gap in accessible health information.
“Social media is not all bad. “In fact, it is a powerful tool that can be used to reach people where they are with the precise information they need to take control of their sexual and reproductive health.”
You can’t trust everything you read online. But by doing your research and talking to your doctor, you can protect yourself from misinformation.
This resource was created with the support of Organon, a member of HealthyWomen’s Corporate Advisory Board.
