Contraception is frequently discussed on pregnancy and parenting forums. Before birth, users discuss efforts to become pregnant; after birth, users discuss family planning strategies and postpartum contraception. These conversations include users’ contraception questions, experiences, and second-hand information. Despite the frequency of contraception-related conversations in these settings, contraceptive misinformation has not been broadly studied on these ...Read more >

Reproductive autonomy for adolescents and young adults (AYA, ages 15–29) critically depends on access to accurate, timely contraceptive information. Access to traditional contraceptive information sources has diminished substantially in recent decades, disproportionately impacting marginalized AYA. With gaps in contraceptive information, many AYA increasingly turn to digital spaces like social media and online communities. Young people ...Read more >

Accurate information about emergency contraception (EC) is integral to reproductive autonomy, especially within the current national landscape restricting reproductive rights and health. Yet there is substantial misinformation about EC that may undermine its use, leading to adverse and consequential outcomes. Social media use is ubiquitous in the US across all demographic groups and is a ...Read more >

Immigrants from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are a rapidly growing US population whose reproductive autonomy may be particularly threatened by contraceptive misinformation. A pervasive myth that contributes to the consistently low uptake of modern contraception in SSA is that modern contraception causes infertility. Given the centrality of childbearing to their identity, SSA men and women who ...Read more >

Addressing contraceptive mis- and dis-information is particularly urgent in states like Mississippi where reproductive health is most threatened by structural oppression. While much research focuses on social media, this is only part of the story, particularly in the Bible Belt where dominance of socially conservative Protestant Christianity creates an enabling environment for disinformation spread by ...Read more >

This project seeks to understand the experiences of individuals with chronic conditions encountering and engaging with contraceptive mis- and disinformation on social media. People living with chronic health conditions such as autoimmune conditions, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis often experience provider dismissal of symptoms, confusing healthcare-seeking pathways, lengthy time to diagnosis, and financial strain. ...Read more >

The role social media platforms play in contraception mis- and disinformation is well-known. However, existing studies provide only a temporal snapshot, which quickly becomes outdated due to the fast-evolving nature of online discourse. Additionally, descriptive studies of content are often unable to measure the impact of public messages or rely on limited survey campaigns. Finally, ...Read more >

Side effects—both anticipated and experienced—are a significant influence on contraceptive decision-making, particularly for hormonal methods. In our ongoing, large-scale study of contraceptive information on TikTok, we found that nearly two-thirds of TikToks in our dataset shared lived experiences with contraceptive use and often focused on side effects—largely making claims about users’ individual experiences and not ...Read more >

Deliberate efforts to spread false information about contraception can involve established myths or new false messages. The rise of novel disinformation messages can be unpredictable because they are not based on science or evidence. Crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) are known to disseminate false claims about contraception. We propose to use artificial intelligence (AI) to develop ...Read more >

This study addresses two priority areas outlined by the Society for Family Planning’s request for proposals on contraceptive misinformation and disinformation: improving surveillance and understanding consequences. The project aims to generate actionable evidence that informs the development of a practical toolkit for US-based family planning providers combating contraceptive misinformation in clinical settings. Focusing on communities ...Read more >