Internet False Information Deterring Women From Using Contraceptive Pill, Research Reveals | Wellness

A study has discovered that social media misinformation about the contraceptive pill is causing women to have such a negative view of it that they are stopping its use. Researchers have discovered that myths spreading on TikTok and other social media platforms are causing real but psychological side-effects, known as the “nocebo effect”, the opposite of the better-known placebo effect. This effect is closely related to anxiety, depression, and fatigue. The study, conducted by psychologists at Sheffield University, found that people become wary of anything they believe may make their conditions worse, which in turn exacerbates the effect. The pill remains the most popular form of contraception in England, but its usage has fallen sharply. Experts believe that the decline in use, and the fact that two-thirds of women stop using it within two years, is a major reason for the increase in abortions in England and Wales in recent years. NHS officials are concerned about the role of influencers on social media who warn women against using the pill and advocate for “natural” birth control methods instead. They claim that the pill “robs us of our health” due to common side-effects like thyroid problems, blood clots, and strokes. The study found that the involvement of psychological factors, such as the expectation of harm, low confidence in how medicines are developed, belief in the overuse and harm of medicines, and sensitivity to medicines, make women experience negative effects of the pill. The authors suggest that because many women’s negative reactions to the pill are psychological in origin, “psychological interventions”, such as challenging negative beliefs about medication, could be used to reduce side-effects and encourage continued use of the pill.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/sep/13/online-misinformation-putting-women-off-contraceptive-pill-study-finds