A young woman blends out her liquid contour in a get ready with me TikTok whilst talking about her traumatising experience using hormonal birth control. She laments very real issues that can happen to people who are prescribed hormonal contraception. This shouldn’t be a reality, but it is. And she raises some valid concerns. 

There has been a pronounced rise in scepticism towards hormonal contraception in young women and gender diverse people. This rising tide of dissent is in the context of a healthcare system that has repeatedly dismissed women and gender diverse people and not invested in finding reliable solutions to solve widespread issues. However, is all this talk from TikTok influencers helping or hurting?

I first-hand understand why women and gender diverse people distrust the medical system. I have endometriosis and have been repeatedly dismissed by healthcare professionals. Doubting my pain, sending me away from the emergency room. I have had to fight to be heard. 

And believe me, I have cycled through more pill brands than I have moisturisers.

As a lesbian with a frustratingly dysfunctional uterus, I have a complicated relationship with contraception. I deeply feel the level at which women and girls have been ignored in healthcare research and treatment, which has been recently recognised by the Victorian Government’s Inquiry into women’s pain. 

However, hormonal contraception has made my life livable. Without it, every month would be emotionally and physically excruciating. 

And hey, I’m all for scepticism, a healthy level of doubt and seeking second opinions keeps people safe. What I am not here for, however, is when influencers use well-founded fear and distrust to peddle misinformation for profit. Hyping up doubt about hormonal contraception in exchange for views hurts women. A study published by La Trobe University in June of this year assessed TikToks about hormonal contraception. They collectively received 4.85 billion views, and researchers found that only 10% were created by medical professionals. This indicates a prominent presence of contraceptive health misinformation. 

So let’s get some things straightened out! 

What are influencers saying, and is it true? 

Myth 1: Contraception causes infertility

Using hormonal contraceptives causes a temporary delay in fertility (that’s usually why people take them). However, once people stop taking birth control or have a device removed, their fertility should return to previous levels. 

This myth goes way back to when the pill was first placed on the market. There were valid concerns around how it would impact people’s fertility long-term. However, as time has passed, we have been able to study those long-term effects, and we now have a better understanding of fertility. There has also been an introduction of safer, lower-dose medications. Now it is known that reversible birth control doesn’t cause infertility or affect future pregnancies.

Myth 2: Contraception is “unnatural” 

The idea that contraception is “unnatural” stems from the fact that the hormones present in hormonal birth control (estrogen and progesterone), used to prevent pregnancy, are synthetic. However, they replicate the hormones that the body naturally produces. They mimic natural hormones to regulate the menstrual cycle. 

So yes, hormonal contraception interferes with the body’s “natural” hormones, however, this is how it is designed to work. Once someone stops hormonal contraception, their hormones should return to their previous levels – with no need to “balance” them. 

Myth 3: Hormonal birth control causes cancer 

There is some evidence that hormonal birth control can increase the risk of breast and cervical cancer. However, cancer occurs through a mutation in cell DNA. The more times cells turn over, the higher the chance there is for a mutated cell to form. Because hormonal birth control limits the number of times someone has a period, there is less cell turnover. 

This means that there is strong evidence that hormonal birth control reduces the lifetime risk of developing endometrial and ovarian cancer. This, therefore, outweighs the potential risk associated with breast and cervical cancer. 

Myth 4: Cycle tracking is better than hormonal birth control 

Cycle tracking is positioned as a more “natural” way to become pregnant or remain child-free whilst being sexually active. It has a lot of connections to understanding how hormones impact someone’s mood, drive, or productivity. However, for young people, their menstrual cycle won’t become regular until their late teens, and even then, there are all sorts of reasons why someone’s cycle is irregular or unpredictable. 

Influencers promoting cycle tracking are often selling discount codes for Oura rings or period tracking apps. These devices and platforms can track and profit from your data and have ties to MAGA-affiliated companies. 

Combined with the pull-out method, which has a 1 in 5 chance of not working, cycle tracking is not a reliable method of contraception. 

So, consider:

Truth 1: Personal stories =/= medical advice 

Sharing personal stories is incredibly important. Especially when, for a long time, these conversations haven’t been happening. As embedded within feminist thought, the personal is always political. 

However, someone’s experience is not medical advice and consulting a doctor or sexual health professional is the best way to ensure that you are getting reliable information. People with overwhelmingly positive experiences using a medication or product rarely share about it online, so an onslaught of content saying something is bad does not prove that it is. 

Truth 2: Pregnancy is going to be worse for your hormones 

If you are worried about what hormonal contraception is going to do to your hormones, wait until you hear about pregnancy! Pregnancy comes with some major health risks and does some insane things to your body – just look at the girl with the list. 

Truth 3: The choice to take contraception is feminism in action 

The choice to have a child or when to have a child is enabled through the availability and safety of hormonal birth control. In this political climate, it is so important that we recognise its value. Often, the loudest voices in the space have ties to conservative political movements. Take Alex Clark, the American influencer who has spoken widely about the overprescription of the birth control pill. 

I’m not saying all criticism about hormonal birth control has connections to right-wing political movements. However, the undermining of people’s faith in birth control couples hand-in-hand with the attempt to repeal abortion laws, both in the US and nearby. 

This is where the distinction between misinformation and disinformation is really important. Misinformation is the innocent sharing of personal stories that paint an unrealistic picture of the safety of hormonal birth control. Disinformation, however, is the intentional discouragement of the use of birth control based on false information. Whilst they are different in intent, both can have damaging effects. 

The TLDR: Everybody is different 

The main takeaway from all of this is to be aware of the messages of seemingly harmless online content. A simple GRWM can actually hold a lot of weight. 

Remember: hormonal contraception isn’t the enemy, doctors not believing women, and the embedded bias within the healthcare system is. 

Read more about contraception, emergency contraception and abortion. Found out more at your local sexual health clinic. 

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