The real life impacts of social media contraception advice

Imagine wanting to get contraception but not being able to get the appointment you need, then falling pregnant while you wait.

That’s the bleak situation for an increasing number of women, according to the British Pregnancy Advisory service.

For young women looking for advice on contraception, it’s a confusing world.

The merits of proven birth control methods, such as the pill, are currently a hot topic of discussion on social media platforms, but not all the advice is reliable.

The hashtags natural cycle, hormonal birth control and tracking apps will be familiar to many young women who look for information about contraception online.

But what’s talked about in the influencer realm, even with good intentions and making clear a lack of medical training, could be having a real life impact.

We spoke to a consultant who has worked in sexual health for 30 years who told us she’s really concerned about the increasing rate of women coming forward with unplanned pregnancies.

Dr Caroline Turner talked about the impact it has, seeing these people in her clinic.

“It’s difficult because you know the individual in front of you doesn’t want to be in front of you, and actually I feel responsible for that. You know it’s a low point in my day.”

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service has a new report which warns that this may be contributing to a rise in unwanted pregnancies.

The latest figures show that in 2022-2023 over a quarter of women used oral contraceptives, that’s down from 2013-2014 when nearly half of women did so.

Even though some people may now be buying contraception directly from a pharmacist, there’s still a big drop in the use of these methods of birth control.

For others it’s not the lack of desire for contraception, but dramatic cuts in sexual health services are having a devastating impact.

We met up with Charlotte who wanted contraception, but has waited years to access it because her medical situation doesn’t suit the over the counter pill.

That delay has had traumatic consequences and she had a miscarriage three months ago.

She said “If I did have contraception I would never have had to go through that.”

Even with Charlotte’s miscarriage, she still doesn’t have a sexual health appointment to address her concerns.

It’s now 60 years since the introduction of the pill revolutionised women’s right to choose.

But campaigners, consultants and even patients say the current situation means women are once again at risk of unwanted pregnancies.