"As part of NPR's Population Shift series, we've been spending this week looking at how families make decisions about if and when to have children - decisions made possible in part because of hormonal birth control. Now there's a growing social media trend that shows women quitting their hormonal birth control, even though they're not ready to become parents. Doctors are worried that some women are making decisions based on inaccurate medical information they see online."
"Charlotte Freed (ph) first got a hormonal IUD as a teenager. She wasn't sexually active at the time, but she wanted to be protected from pregnancy before she started college. This was also a time when she experienced anxiety, depression and fatigue. But it wasn't until years later, when a friend of hers quit her birth control and recommended a book on the topic, that Freed started wondering if these things could be connected."
Many women are quitting hormonal birth control even though they are not planning pregnancy. Women report stopping or questioning methods because of concerns about mood, mental health, weight gain, nausea, and decreased sex drive. Some said doctors dismissed their complaints. Social platforms like TikTok and Instagram are sharing personal stories and medical claims that may be misleading or inaccurate. Doctors and researchers emphasize decades of research showing hormonal contraceptives are safe and effective and express concern that misinformation could lead people to make decisions that increase unintended pregnancy risk. Some individuals seek to regain a sense of self after long-term use.
Read at www.npr.org
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