Side effects and cessation of the oral contraceptive pill on TikTok: a content analysis

This study aimed to assess the content and reliability of videos discussing the oral contraceptive pill (OCP) on TikTok, the popular social media platform amongst adults aged 18-24, to gauge the dialogue surrounding birth control on TikTok.

We conducted a quantitative content analysis. The top 100 TikTok videos in English under each of the six hashtags related to OCPs were collected. Video content, engagement metrics (likes, comments, shares), and creator attributes were analyzed by two independent reviewers, with a third to arbitrate discrepancies.

307 videos were included in the final data set with an average of 134,891 likes, 1,080 comments, and 7,483 shares. Healthcare providers created 27% of videos and 85.5% of these videos were educational. The majority of videos (73%) were created by non-healthcare providers and 54.4% discussed OCPs in a negative tone. Side effects were mentioned in 79% of videos, and 64% of these videos carried a negative tone regarding OCP side effects. Discontinuing OCPs was discussed in 24% of videos, and 83% of these videos carried a negative tone.

The most frequently discussed topic was the side effects of OCPs, with the majority framed negatively. Approximately one quarter of videos addressed discontinuing OCPs, often portraying cessation as beneficial. In the post-Roe v. Wade era, understanding how OCP experiences are portrayed on TikTok highlights the importance of physician-patient collaboration to support informed contraceptive decision-making and move beyond narratives that focus primarily on negative experiences.