Contraception research and TikTok: Should we be concerned?

For Sexual Health Week we’re exploring how being Chronically Online is influencing our attitudes and behaviours around sex and relationships. In this blog, Lara Steele, Brook’s Digital & Marketing Coordinator, shares findings from new research with the Open University into how young people use social media for contraception advice and what this means for educators.

Is TikTok the new Google?

40% of Gen Z now use social media instead of search engines.

Platforms like TikTok offer short videos that feel easier to digest and more relatable than scrolling through Google search results.  

This trend extends to exploring contraception options. Our research found that 66% of young people are most likely to consider information online when choosing a method of contraception. 58% of young people AFAB (assigned female at birth) would consider people’s experiences on social media when making contraceptive decisions.

What makes social media appealing for contraception information isn’t just convenience, its authenticity. Social media offers a more personal account that search engines and ChatGPT can’t compete with.

For many young people, hearing influencers, celebrities, or peers talk openly about contraception feels more trustworthy than reading clinical descriptions with a list of potential side effects. The perceived “relationship” with the person posting can make their advice feel more genuine and relevant. When you interact with an influencer’s content daily, their experiences are likely to carry more weight.

Social media can also help validate personal experiences. For young people who feel they haven’t been listened to when choosing or changing a method, seeing others share similar stories online can be empowering. It offers reassurance that they’re not alone and their experience is valid.

This authenticity can be powerful but it comes with challenges.

Real stories or clickbait horror stories?

One of the biggest issues with relying on social media for contraception information is negativity bias. People are far more likely to post about negative experiences than positive ones. Algorithms also reward dramatic, emotional stories that generate likes, comments and shares.

As a result, young people are often exposed to content that:

• Isn’t medically accurate.
• Generalises individual experiences as universal ones.
• Reinforces myths and misconceptions.
• Exaggerates side effects of hormonal contraception.

It’s no surprise then that 25% of young people surveyed by Brook expressed concerns about hormonal contraception’s side effects. Online content may push young people away from methods that could be great options for them if they have heavy or painful periods, want help with acne or mood.

This shift away from hormonal methods has been accompanied by an increase in discourse around ‘natural’ methods such as fertility awareness. This method is often promoted on social media by adverts and influencers, usually in the form of apps. But fertility awareness, when done right, is a lot more complicated than it’s often shown to be. It’s also less effective if you live certain lifestyles such as travelling a lot, having regular lie-ins and drinking alcohol, meaning this method isn’t often a good option for young people.

The role of critical thinking

The good news is that our research found young people don’t rely on social media alone. They tend to weigh up different sources when considering contraception options. Family and friends and the NHS were cited as other key sources to include when making a decision. Young people, it seems, are naturally building critical thinking skills when it comes to weighing up their options with online information.

However, while someone actively researching contraception methods might look for multiple sources, someone casually scrolling through TikTok is less likely to apply the same critical lens when they stumble across a negative story about social media.

That’s why it’s vital to encourage young people to ask:

• What’s the motive behind the content?
• Is it sponsored content or designed to generate clicks?
• Does the content creator have proven medical expertise?
• Is this a one-sided account?
• Where could I go for reliable information?

What this means for contraception lessons

Contraception lessons that simply list the methods aren’t enough. Young people are bringing questions and myths driven by online narratives into the classroom. This makes critical thinking an important part of lessons.

To be effective, contraception lessons need to:

• Signpost to accurate and reliable sources of information such as Brook’s Contraception Tool.
• Address common misconceptions online including fertility awareness methods and the pull out “method”.
• Question sources of information and myths when they come up in the classroom.

Our new, free contraception course helps with all these points and more.  It gives educators the tools and confidence to tackle common myths and misconceptions with confidence and guide students on the decision-making process involved with choosing a method.