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Facts Are Important: Hormonal Birth Control

As public attention on birth control—especially hormonal birth control—has increased, so has the misinformation shared on social media. What’s more, legislative and political attacks on reproductive health care are laying the groundwork for attacks on access to birth control. However, birth control is a vital aspect of reproductive care and autonomy. Now more than ever, it’s important that people know the facts about hormonal birth control.

Spreading misinformation about any kind of contraceptive is dangerous. Misinformation about hormonal birth control interferes with the public’s understanding of how it works, increases the risk of incorrect use, and may lead to support for legislation that threatens the availability of safe and effective birth control options.

Hormonal birth control plays an important role in people’s health and lives by providing them with a way to choose whether and when to become pregnant. It also helps them manage and treat health conditions that interfere with their lives, such as heavy or irregular periods and menstrual cramps. With reproductive health care increasingly under attack from every angle, birth control is a critical tool in ensuring that people can make their own decisions about their reproductive health.

Side Effects, Myths, and Misinformation

Some forms of birth control can lead to side effects that are usually minor and controllable. However, those minor side effects can be exaggerated to instill fear and uncertainty in people considering or using contraception. For example, although evidence has shown that one form of hormonal birth control, the injection, can increase water retention for some people and result in an average weight gain of five pounds during the first year of use, there is no causal link between other forms of hormonal birth control and weight gain. Some individuals may experience normal weight fluctuation during the time in their life in which they use contraception, but evidence does not show a definitive link between all forms of hormonal birth control and weight gain.

Other myths and misinformation about birth control—for example, that it causes abortion or STIs, changes sexual attraction, routinely causes mood changes, or affects long-term future fertility—are not supported by data and are often spread by people who do not have any medical education or training. Patient-reported side effects reflect real-life experiences, but these experiences are sometimes misinterpreted as common. Myths that manipulate or misrepresent data or reported outcomes frighten people away from well-studied, clinically proven, safe, and effective choices that can improve their health and their lives.

Choosing Birth Control Methods

Because there is no one form of birth control that is right for every individual, choosing a contraceptive can seem daunting. Some patients may find that changing birth control methods leads them to an option that works better for them, especially if their needs evolve over time. Obstetrician–gynecologists can help patients navigate birth control options throughout the course of their lives. They can help them understand the evidence and science behind birth control so that patients feel confident, comfortable, and informed in their choice of contraception. That is why shared decision-making between patients and their trusted clinicians is so important, and part of why ACOG recommends ob-gyns engage in shared decision-making with their patients. If you have any questions about your birth control method or are considering changing it, speak to your obstetrician–gynecologist.

ACOG’s patient education materials on hormonal birth control are also reliable sources of information for people with questions about birth control. See the resources below to learn more about each type of hormonal birth control.

Resources

Last Updated: January 2026