In the 1960s it was considered a watershed moment of liberation for women. Now, a new generation is being inundated with messages online that birth control is “evil” and “poison”. Across social media feeds, influencers are venting about hormonal contraception. Some are spreading false claims that taking synthetic hormones causes infertility, or can even be responsible for bad romantic decisions because you are “attracted to different men than you would be if you were off the pill”. Others emphasise known side-effects, such as weight gain and depression.
Meanwhile, millions of TikToks promote the effectiveness of natural contraceptive methods, with self-described “hormone experts” claiming it is “not that hard to prevent pregnancy naturally” with fertility awareness methods “just as effective, if not more effective than the birth control pill”.
