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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Denis Campbell and Sinéad Campbell

FORGOTTEN HISTORY: Online misinformation putting women off contraceptive pill study finds | History Defined

A pile of contraceptive pill packets.
The pill remains the most popular form of contraception in England, though use of it has fallen sharply. Photograph: Areeya Yodplob/Alamy

Social media misinformation about the contraceptive pill is encouraging women to view it so negatively that many give it up, a study has found.

Researchers have identified myths spread on TikTok and other social media platforms as a key driver of users suffering side-effects that are real but psychological in origin. It is called the “nocebo effect”, the opposite of the better-known placebo effect.

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