Common myths and misconceptions surrounding hormonal contraception

Abstract

Numerous community and professional myths and misconceptions around hormonal contraception exist, many promulgated through social media. As a result of these and other factors, people are moving away from hormonal methods and potentially exposing themselves to increased risk of unintended pregnancy. A number of key myths and misconceptions have been identified in a range of papers and here we summarise the evidence around the basis for these misunderstandings. The themes we explore are the physical side effects, the mental health effects, the impact on sexuality, the concerns about infertility, the concept of “unnaturalness”, concerns about menstruation, concerns about safety and destigmatisation of side effects. For many of these themes, there is some evidence justifying the concern, but overall for most people, we argue that the benefits of hormonal contraception outweigh the disadvantages. • Women are turning away from hormonal contraception despite their high efficacy due to the influence of social media and other factors. • A broad variety of misconceptions exist that negatively affect the acceptance and uptake of hormonal contraception, many of which lack scientific support. • Clinical studies confirm a range of side effects with hormonal contraception but many of these may be perceived as more severe than they truly are. • To combat misinformation, healthcare professionals need to clearly communicate hormonal contraception advantages, disadvantages, and side effects.

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