To Be or Not to Be…Pregnant?: How the Internet is Scaring Women Out of Using Birth Control

In 2018, Shannon Boodram, intimacy educator and sexologist, hosted a “thanks birth control” party, later sharing the video to her YouTube audience of over 600 thousand subscribers. The video highlighted the positive impact that birth control had on the lives of the seven women in attendance. It was a celebration made up of pink cupcakes, matching t-shirts, and taboo discourse. But the most noteworthy element of the event was what didn’t make the topic of discussion. 

More than a few comments highlighted the fact that the negative side effects of birth control were completely ignored. “I wish you included a small segment talking about the negative effects, especially regarding hormonal birth control and mental health,” read one comment. “I suffered for months in physical and emotional pain trying to find the right birth control. It was hell and I eventually gave up,” read another. These concerns point to a growing distrust among women when it comes to birth control. 

In an “Op-Doc” for The New York Times, Sindha Agha not only delineates her experience with birth control starting at age eleven but how it made her “four different people” throughout her life. Agha began her birth control journey with the pill as a remedy for her endometriosis. Later, she decided to try out the IUD, only to experience incredible discomfort and six months of bleeding. She then proceeded to get a NuvaRing, and finally switched to Lo Loestrin, the lowest estrogen dose oral contraceptive in the market.

Though birth control alleviates discomfort in a lot of women, it exacerbates it in others, says Dr. Staci Tanouye, board-certified OB-GYN, and online women’s health advocate. The problem with birth control is that you don’t know who is going to react to what. 

While there’s no denying that birth control can yield some scary side effects, research shows that only a small percentage of people experience them. This does not, however, invalidate their experience, says Tanouye. When it comes to navigating the deep abyss of birth control, do your research, communicate with your doctor, and listen to your body. 

Birth control encapsulates all contraceptive methods, including barrier methods, such as condoms, or other hormonal approaches, such as the pill, the patch, and the IUD. According to WebMD, the most common side effects of birth control are headaches, nausea, excessive bleeding, acne, mood changes, weight gain, and much more. A study in Harvard Health Publishing “strongly suggests that there is an increased risk of depression associated with all types of hormonal contraception.” 

The study evaluated women aged 15 to 34 between the years 2000 and 2013. All forms of hormonal contraception were found to be associated with an increased risk of developing depression, “with higher risks associated with the progesterone-only forms, including the IUD.” This is significant because, traditionally, physicians have been informed that the IUD has no effects on the rest of the body, only the reproductive organs. This study highlights the inaccuracy of this previous belief. Even with these findings, only 2.2 out of 100 women who used hormonal birth control developed depression, a very small statistic. “We can't take statistics and science personally,” said Tanouye. “That being said, just because your experience exists in a smaller percentage, it doesn't invalidate what you’re going through.”

If the probability of actually experiencing these side effects is slim, then why is the internet bombarded with horror stories about this unicorn of modern medicine- the very invention designed to grant women bodily autonomy? “We live in a very media-savvy age where if one person or a few people end up having a severe side effect from a medication, all of a sudden that gets amplified to every single person,” Dr. Brett Worly of Ohio State Wexner Medical Center told the college’s medical YouTube channel.

Even as a 20-year-old who knows all the right keywords to search and buttons to push when it comes to navigating the internet, the quest to find accurate information on this widely used medical product is hard to come by. “A lot of it is really a disservice to women,” said Tanouye. “It’s important to not only educate yourself with reliable sources but also talk to someone who can give you reliable in-person resources, rather than the fear-based misinformation that is out there.” 

Two websites that Dr. Tanouye recommends are PlannedParenthood.org and Bedsider.org. Here, you’ll find that “most of those things that we think about birth control potentially exacerbating, it can also improve,” said Tanouye. One example is birth control’s use to combat dysmenorrhea, a very brainy way of referring to severe period pain. Birth control can alleviate discomfort and make periods go away for as long as a person desires.

When it comes to birth control, speaking with a physician is imperative, especially if you are having second thoughts about its safety. “You must be persistent about what you’re feeling,” says Tanouye. Whether it be physical discomfort or general anxiety, your healthcare provider is there to help you navigate this not so scary, yet serious, topic. 

Medical misinformation has become commonplace in our digitized society. But before you reject birth control, or any other medical service, be sure to do your research in the right places.