Anxiety and pain from office intrauterine device insertion: Relationship to prior social media use

To evaluate how social media use may be associated with anxiety and pain scores among patients undergoing an IUD procedure in the office.

This was a prospective longitudinal study among subjects undergoing first time IUD insertion. Subjects completed a survey evaluating daily social media use and anticipated pain and anxiety scores by visual analog scale (VAS) of 0-10 prior to IUD insertion. The survey also asked about reproductive health (contraceptive use, sexual activity and pregnancy). IUD insertion occurred as standard of care. Within 15 min after IUD insertion, subjects completed another VAS about procedural pain.

One hundred thirty-three subjects participated with mean age of 22.8 and range of 13-45. Most subjects reported using social media 1-3 h per day (41.4%) and 27.8% reported 3-6 h per day. Of those using social media, 80% reported seeing posts about IUDs; 67% of these subjects reported negative content about IUDs in these posts. Seeing negative posts about IUDs was associated with higher anticipated pain and anxiety scores (6.9 vs 5.4, p = <.001, and 6.8 vs 4.8, p = <.001). The mean anticipated pain score was 0.47 units higher than the mean procedural pain score (p value=0.040).

Exposure to negative IUD content on social media is associated with higher anticipated pain and anxiety scores prior to IUD insertion. These findings need further exploration to determine how patients utilize social media for medical procedures and the interplay between heightened anxiety and social media use.

This study highlights the intersection between social media exposure and patient experiences during IUD insertion and raises provider awareness about what patients may have increased anxiety about this procedure. By understanding how social media influences patients' experience, clinicians can take a proactive approach to patient education and support.