The data: Thirty-five percent of women ages 18 to 49 see or hear contraception information on social media, rising to 42% among younger women ages 18 to 25, according to an April 2026 KFF Women’s Health Survey of reproductive-age women.

Younger women who have seen or heard about contraception information on social media were also more likely to make a change based off the content:

• 46% of ages 18 to 25 looked for more information in search or AI compared with 36% of of overall women ages 18 to 49
• 26% talked to a doctor compared with 19% overall
• 13% started or changed birth control methods compared with 9% overall
• 12% stopped using hormonal contraceptives compared with 8% overall

Why it matters: Social platforms can shape contraceptive decisions before younger women reach a doctor’s office. Seventy percent of Gen Zers (ages 15-29) who engage with or follow health influencers have followed health advice from someone on social media even if it contradicts their doctor, per EMARKETER’s 2026 US Digital Health Survey.

The KFF findings show how widely contraceptive claims are circulating. Fifty-three percent of the women in the KFF survey saw or heard the false or misleading statements that hormones in contraceptives are harmful and 43% saw or heard that those hormones limit the ability to get pregnant in the future. This could influence them to change or stop birth control.

Social media influencer posts often overamplify personal stories about rare side effects to discourage birth control use, and double down on cycle tracking and other so-called natural methods as alternatives to traditional medical birth control, per an August 2025 NPR report. Experts said those kinds of personal stories and messages can resonate with women, partly because some feel health care providers overlook or dismiss side effect concerns.

Implications for women’s health marketers and healthcare providers: Social media’s role in young women’s contraceptive decisions is an opportunity for marketers and providers to address misconceptions, such as birth control being harmful to fertility or increasing risks for cancer as they research and weigh their options. Marketers can use social, search, and patient education to provide clear and balanced information about contraception benefits, risks, and effectiveness. Providers can initiate conversations about what patients see online, correct misinformation with medical evidence, and offer guidance tailored to each patient’s reproductive goals and health needs.