Determining the Impact of the Reversal of Roe v. Wade on Birth Control and Infertility Trends Using Google Trends

Introduction Overturning Roe v. Wade left many concerned about birth control options and future fertility. This study aims to report Google (Google, Inc., Mountain View, CA) search trends regarding birth control and infertility options before and after the Dobb v. Jackson decision. Methods Google Trends (Google, Inc., Mountain View, CA) data were analyzed between January 2020 and August 2022. The relative search volume (RSV), a measure of proportional search volume, was obtained for terms related to birth control and infertility treatments. Abortion laws and median household income were compared to search term popularity. Linear regression and t-test analysis were performed. Results Interest in surgical birth control increased most in June 2022 compared to June 2021, with vasectomy interest increasing by 142% and tubal ligation by 98%. Surrounding the Roe v. Wade announcement, increases were seen in searches for vasectomy (90%), vasectomy reversal (142%), oral contraceptive pill (56%), plan B (36%), and in vitro fertilization (29%) (P < 0.05). Lower median household income was associated with increased interest in "vasectomy," "tubal ligation," and "plan B," while higher median household income was associated with increased interest in "in vitro fertilization" (P < 0.05). Seven of the top 10 states with the highest interest in surgical birth control had laws banning abortion at any gestational age. Conclusions Changes in access to abortion have led to increased online interest in birth control and fertility treatment options. Surgical birth control searches were highest in states with stricter abortion laws, warranting investigation into access to reversible contraception, while the rise in fertility searches brought to light concerns regarding future laws impacting fertility care.