Birth Control Misinformation as Contraception Coercion
An increasing number of influencers are sharing misinformation on social media about birth control. When this misinformation is motivated by financial and ideological ambitions, it can cross into contraceptive coercion. It also exploits the damage wrought by a long history of contraceptive coercion by medical professionals and institutions.
This article by scholars of family and community medicine addresses the appeal of coercive influencers and the need for medical providers to rebuild trust with their patients.
People have understandable concerns about birth control. Hormonal birth control methods can have side effects, for example. Also, people can experience pain with IUD insertion. When providers do not address these concerns, we may turn to influencers for answers.
Influencers may not be as informed as medical providers about birth control methods. They can inflate existing myths about contraception. There are also right-wing influencers who deliberately share misinformation about birth control in order to further a patriarchal agenda. People are seeking credible information but finding videos created to control their reproductive choices.
Contraceptive coercion does not occur on social media only. The medical system in the U.S. has a history of contraceptive coercion. People of color, especially, have faced forced sterilization and have been coerced into using birth control methods such as IUDs. As a result, many communities became rightfully wary of medical providers.
Medical providers must work to repair this trust. They must be willing to take our concerns about different birth control methods seriously and help us find a method that reflects our preferences. Medical providers should support patients and empower them to make choices that are best for their bodies and health.
Such a history of coercion fuels distrust in the context of reproductive health care. Providers must recognize that effectiveness may not be the highest priority for people using contraception when weighed against other things like changes to their periods, being able to stop a method without provider assistance, and side effects.
SOURCE: Scientific American • AUTHOR: Mai Fleming, Christine Dehlendorf, and April J. Bell • LAST UPDATED: June 21, 2024
