DUMPING THE PILL

‘Explosion’ of Women Ditching Birth Control Amid Misinformation Blitz

TikTok videos spreading misinformation appear to be having a real-world effect on birth control usage.

Rampant online misinformation about birth control appears to be having an effect on the number of women who use it, doctors told The Washington Post this week. They described there being an “explosion” of women ditching the pill after watching videos online, namely on TikTok, where women blame birth control for weight gain and right-wing commentators claim it leads to infertility—two widely disproven claims. Despite this, against doctor’s advice, the Post reports that American women, particularly women of color, are dropping the pill in favor of “natural” alternatives—like timing sex to menstrual cycles—that aren’t nearly as effective. That’s a dangerous combo that could lead to a spike in unplanned pregnancies in a country where abortion is outright banned or heavily restricted in nearly half of U.S. states. “People are putting themselves out there as experts on birth control and speaking to things that the science does not bear out,” Michael Belmonte, an OB/GYN in Washington, told the Post. “I am seeing those direct failures of this misinformation.” Belmonte said he’s seen an increase in patients, many from states where abortion is banned, coming to him after they fell victim to misinformation about legitimate vs. natural birth control methods.