More than half of women of reproductive age encountered the incorrect claim that contraceptive hormones are harmful; social media exposure has led some to change methods or seek advice.
A large majority of reproductive age women said health care providers are their most trusted source for reliable health care information, with 85% saying they trust them a great deal or a fair amount.
for reliable health information, and 48% said they trust federal health agencies.
About 25% said they trust AI tools and chatbots, and 14% said they trust social media and social media influencers.
The KFF survey asked women ages 18 to 49 about exposure to contraception-related claims and where they get health information. The sample included 3,538 women of reproductive age. The survey measured both the prevalence of false claims in public discourse and how those claims influenced behavior.
More than half of respondents said they had seen or heard the false claim that hormones in contraceptives are harmful. About 4 in 10 reported seeing or hearing the false idea that hormones limit the ability to become pregnant in the future. Roughly one-third encountered two additional inaccuracies: that natural family planning methods are just as effective as hormonal birth control, and that emergency contraceptive pills cause abortions.
About 35% of the surveyed women saw or heard something about contraception on social media in the past 12 months. Among that group, 78% reported using contraception in the prior year and 62% used hormonal methods.
Of the social-media-exposed group, some changed behavior after seeing posts: 8% stopped a method and 9% started a new one. A larger share used posts as a prompt to seek more information: 19% consulted a doctor and 36% turned to online sources or AI tools. Younger women (ages 18–25) were more likely to consult AI or the internet (46%) than women ages 36–49 (29%).
The survey found that health care providers are the most trusted source: 85% of reproductive-age women said they trust providers "a great deal" or "a fair amount." By contrast, 48% trust federal health agencies, 26% trust the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary named in the survey, 25% trust AI tools and chatbots, and 14% trust social media or influencers.
The article cites the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists to note that long-acting reversible contraception and hormonal birth control are more effective at preventing pregnancy than fertility awareness-based methods such as menstrual cycle tracking.
Patients: exposure to inaccurate claims is common, and social media can change contraceptive decisions for some users. When evaluating claims, patients should ask their clinician for method-specific effectiveness information and safety guidance.
False claims about hormonal contraception are widely circulated and reach large shares of reproductive-age women. Social media prompts some method changes and more commonly prompts further research or consultation. Health care providers remain the most trusted source for reliable information on contraception.
More than half of women of reproductive age have seen or heard the false claim that hormones in contraceptives are harmful, and about 4 in 10 have been exposed to the false idea that hormones in contraceptives limit your ability to get pregnant in the future, according to a new survey. The survey by KFF, […]
More than half of women of reproductive age have seen or heard the false claim that hormones in contraceptives are harmful, and about 4 in 10 have been exposed to the false idea that hormones in contraceptives limit your ability to get pregnant in the future, according to a new survey. The survey by KFF, […]
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