Canadian gynecologists concerned social media is reshaping perspectives about effective contraception methods
Look up #naturalbirthcontrol on Instagram and TikTok and you’ll find thousands of posts produced by young influencers encouraging women to ditch the pill and use other methods to avoid pregnancy – mainly by tracking their cycles on their cellphones. Other posts encourage women to avoid pregnancy through “fertility awareness,” which involves tracking bodily changes as a way to determine if they are fertile or not.
Some of the central arguments, which are not supported by science, include that hormonal contraception is unsafe and toxic. Canadian gynecologists say these social media videos, often misleading and created by individuals with large followings and no medical credentials, are reshaping conversations in their clinics, largely among twentysomethings. The physicians who specialize in reproductive health worry the content is connected to a shift in perspectives about effective, safe and long-standing contraceptive methods that have given generations of women and gender-diverse people agency over their reproductive health.
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada issued a statement last fall outlining its concerns about social media influencers promoting fertility tracking apps as substitutes for hormonal contraception.The technology has been criticized by medical professionals who say it is not reliable to avoid pregnancy. The SOGC said social-media content is being used to undermine trust in health care providers and treatment options and is creating confusion for patients. It has called mis- and disinformation on women’s health a “growing threat.”
Dr. Black says one of the challenges for health care providers is to ensure they address misperceptions that are circulating so patients can make informed decisions based on the best available science. She has now distilled her response to misperceptions into about 15 seconds. Dr. Black debunks myths including that the pill makes people infertile. She knows it is important to counsel patients because if concerns are left unaddressed, individuals may not want to fill prescriptions, even if they leave the clinic with them in hand.
Earlier this month, the Center for Intimacy Justice released a report that found tech platforms including Meta, Amazon, Google and TikTok are “systematically suppressing sexual and reproductive health information for women and people of diverse genders.” Sexual health professionals fear an uptick of non-scientific information shared on social media, particularly among young people, could result in unwanted pregnancies...Read more
What do you think about this? Do you agree with Dr. Black?
