I’ve been a sex educator for six years. Why did I start doubting my contraception choices?
Milly Evans, a certified sex educator, has spent years mastering the nuances of contraception. Yet, as she prepared to get a hormonal coil (IUS), she felt a growing unease about its suitability for her body. Her social media feed, once a reliable source of information, became a minefield of content casting doubt on hormonal methods. For six months, the 26-year-old delayed her appointment, wrestling with the question: was the potential for adverse effects worth the benefits?
Evans describes the online discourse as “right-wing, religious, largely American,” often framing contraception as a threat to “clean living” and “divine femininity.” This sentiment resonates with others, like Lauren Haslam, a 25-year-old from Manchester. She follows fitness and wellness influencers who frequently criticize hormonal contraception, labeling it “unnatural” and “harmful.” Despite taking the combined pill for four years, which has eased her premenstrual dysphoric disorder symptoms, Haslam admits these posts make her positive experience feel overshadowed.
The trend isn’t confined to the US. In the UK, sexual health professionals note similar concerns emerging in clinics. London GP Jenny Dhingra observes a rise in patients expressing “aversion” to hormonal methods, citing fears fueled by online narratives. The NHS lists common side effects—headaches, nausea, weight gain—but emphasizes they often diminish over time. It also notes a “very low” risk of blood clots and breast cancer, though these concerns are sometimes amplified in social media discussions.
A surge of misinformation
Evie Plumb, a psychosexual therapist, points to how even medical professionals spread misleading information through podcasts and online platforms. Dr. Fran Yarlett, medical director at the Lowdown, adds that while some claims are outright false, others stem from small-scale studies with questionable methods. For instance, the idea that the pill can “shrink your clitoris” is often cited without context, despite evidence contradicting it.
Online debates frequently split into two camps: personal anecdotes about side effects and deliberate misinformation. A recent example from Instagram shows a new mother holding her unplanned child, asking for contraception advice. A comment beneath her post, garnering over 800 likes, declares: “Birth control is so bad for you.” Another user criticizes the pill, claiming it caused depression, while others chime in with similar grievances.
Shifting trends in contraception use
Quantifying the impact of these conversations is challenging. Jenny Hall, a UCL professor of reproductive health, explains that NHS data doesn’t account for women who obtain pills from pharmacies or those using long-acting devices without frequent replacements. Still, the data suggests a movement away from hormonal contraception. A 2023 study found that the share of women using such methods in England and Wales dropped between 2018 and 2023, based on abortion seekers’ reports. Meanwhile, a review of research highlighted that negative side effects are discussed more often online than the benefits of hormonal methods.
“The reality is that scary stories tend to go viral, even if the evidence isn’t entirely clear-cut.” — Jenny Hall, UCL professor of reproductive health
