As a medical assistant at Planned Parenthood, I learned about the many birth control options available to women. Before I worked there, I thought there was a pill or an IUD. Turns out that's just the beginning! When it comes to birth control methods, you can choose from a method that has Estrogen and Progesterone, like the pill, patch, or ring. You can choose a method that only has Progesterone, like hormonal IUD’s, the shot, the “Opill”, or the arm implant. There's also a method that contains no hormones- the copper IUD.
Throughout my time at PPAZ, I realized that choosing a birth control method is somewhat of a gamble. Some women might get lucky and find one that works wonders for them with no negative side effects. Others might not get so lucky. With any kind of medicine there are risks and benefits involved. In other words, there is no medicine that is 100% safe (Schmid, 2007). This includes birth control. Unfortunately, the side effects of birth control on patients are not taken as seriously as they should be by providers; especially emotional and mental side effects (Martell, 2023). Women have reported a multitude of psychological side effects, ranging from lowered libido to suicidal ideation (Martell, 2023).
In the era of Tik Tok, medical advice and birth control fear mongering, it can be scary for women to start or even continue their birth control method (Pfender, 2025). As a byproduct of being chronically online, I have noticed a spike in the fear around birth control myself. To me, it makes perfect sense. Women’s pain and symptoms are constantly undermined and dismissed in medical settings. That, combined with a lack in research surrounding women's reproductive healthcare, creates a perfect storm of patients' distrust of clinicians and clinicians’ frustration with the rise in misinformation on the internet.
How ought we, as future medical providers, relay the possible side effects of medications in an open and honest way? How will we combat the rampant spread of medical misinformation online? Medical misinformation is not new, but the rate at which it's spreading as a byproduct of the internet is. I think this will be one of our greatest challenges as health care providers in the future.
References
Martell S, Marini C, Kondas CA, Deutch AB. Psychological side effects of hormonal contraception: A disconnect between patients and providers. Contraception and Reproductive Medicine 8, 2023.
Pfender EJ, Tsiandoulas K, Morain SR, Fowler LR. Hormonal contraceptive side effects and nonhormonal alternatives on TikTok: A content analysis. Health Promotion Practice 26: 407–411, 2024.
SCHMID E, SMITH D, RYDER S. Communicating the risks and benefits of medicines. Drug Discovery Today 12: 355–364, 2007.
Great topic to write on Izzy! I personally enjoy when I feel as if I am having a conversation with my physician about possible medications instead of being lectured with dozens of facts about the medication thrown at me. When the situation allows, a collaborative approach is ideal, with the patient sharing their preferences and the physician discussing possible harms and benefits of the available options.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing to consider is people often generalize someone's personal experience for everyone's experience. Doing researching on a particular topic would significantly decrease the spread of medical misinformation.
Hi Alex! Yes, I 100% agree. It is very clear that there is so much research to be done in the world of women's reproductive healthcare. The more knowledge we have about the various risks/benefits of a certain birth control, the better we will be able to care for our patients.
DeleteI really enjoyed your post Izzy! I definitely think that our access to the internet can unfortunately lead to a quick spread of misinformation when we're not meticulous about ensuring the sources are reliable. As for medical providers, I personally have experienced quite the range of attitudes towards discussing risks and benefits. I find that one of the NPs I am a patient of discusses all of the side effects and potential benefits as well as other options in detail before making any decision. However, I have also had some doctors who seem to be leaving me to do my own research and simply trusting that I know the risks and benefits. As a pre-med student myself, I take some inspiration from my NP in how she approaches these discussions. My question is, in addressing the spread of misinformation online, what approaches do you think would improve the general population's internet literacy? How does one encourage others to be more diligent in their research?
ReplyDeleteThank you so continuing this discussion! It is so important to continue advocating for equality in women's healthcare. I was very interested with the incorporation of TikTok & social media's influence on reproductive care. I would have never made that connection, but now that you mention it I totally see it! I know that when I was looking into getting an IUD, I did look for other women's experiences of the procedure to know what to expect; I was met by a majority of women who had negative experiences which did contribute to my own anxieties before my appointment. I looked into this a little further, and I found a study that showed women's experiences- specifically on TikTok- were significantly more negative than positive. In the videos it was found that 27.6% emphasized distrust in healthcare providers. Many videos also made scientific claims of which 24.4% were moderately to highly inaccurate (Wu et al., 2024). I wish I could say that I was surprised, however, it has become commonplace for watchers to trust the medical advice of someone online than healthcare providers. My question would be, how do we best combat this distrust in medical providers and how do we approach the topic of receiving medical information through social media?
ReplyDeleteWu, J., Trahair, E., Happ, M., & Swartz, J. (2023). TikTok, #IUD, and User Experience With Intrauterine Devices Reported on Social Media. Obstetrics and gynecology, 141(1), 215–217. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000005027
Excellent summary about the different types of birth control and the concerns related to their side effects. This post brings up an important discussion relating to patient education, communication, and shows the evolving scope surrounding reproductive health. Your experience at Planned Parenthood highlights how nuanced and individualized contraceptive care truly is. Your acknowledgement of both the large amount of options available and the reality that there is no one-size-fits all solution when it comes to contraceptive solutions.
ReplyDeleteFrom personal experience, outside of birth control, doctors are great at explaining the side effects, from minor ones to serious ones. That would be expected from all types of medications. However, it seems that those expectations fall short as they relate to birth control. The first time I received birth control from a doctor, I was told, “Don’t worry about the side effects, they are minor and you are unlikely to have any.” At that age, you believe the doctor, thinking that this magical pill would cure all problems. Yet that was not the truth. The side effects were more severe than any other medication I have taken in my life.
You make a good point about the challenges of misinformation that surrounds birth control online. The internet has been positive in making medical knowledge more accessible, yet it has blurred the lines between credible and misleading information. This leads to the question of who is responsible for relaying these side effects and concerns with taking birth control. Is it possible to infer that because doctors are reluctant to share the harsh side effects that it causes people to feel it is necessary to go online to share their personal experiences?
Your article and experience is great in sharing the concerns related to this topic. It is also a great reminder that effective patient care should not rely just on medical expertise but on trust and clear communication between the doctor and patient.
I really like how you explained this, it’s so true that finding the right birth control can feel like trial and error, and the emotional side effects don’t always get taken seriously. I’ve also noticed how much fear around birth control spreads on TikTok, and I think you’re right that it makes sense given how often women’s concerns are dismissed. I will be honest, I have seen the TikToks and have done the deep dive research after seeing a post showing a before and after birth control and see how misleading it can be. As future providers, I think the key is to acknowledge those fears instead of brushing them off. Saying something like, “I’ve seen that too, let’s look at what research says” keeps the conversation open and builds trust. At the end of the day, honesty and empathy are probably our best tools against misinformation. Do you think providers should start taking on more of an influencer role themselves, or should we focus on improving communication in the clinic and leave social media to others?
ReplyDeleteI loved your post, Izzy! It is really interesting how our generation going into healthcare will have to deal with the repercussions of social media and the fear mongering we see with the older generations. I totally agree that we need to focus more on the facts and the communication when it come to our future patients. As someone who is also passionate about reproductive health, this really hit home for me. (I also just applied to a PP!)
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