{"id":645515,"date":"2026-03-10T12:10:24","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:10:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/645515\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:10:24","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:10:24","slug":"what-is-the-nocebo-effect-and-why-is-it-making-women-stop-birth-control","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/645515\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the ‘nocebo effect’ \u2014\u00a0and why is it making women stop birth control?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When a teen girl recently posted on TikTok<\/a> about the \u201cpros and cons of birth control,\u201d almost 120,000 people hit the \u201clike\u201d button.<\/p>\n

Of the pros, the girl said her birth control made her period disappear and referenced its \u201c99%\u201d success rate at preventing pregnancy. Of the cons, she said it\u2019s made her constantly bloated and sad \u2014 but never hungry. She said it\u2019s also triggered dizziness, hormonal acne and bad migraines.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s there, in similar posts and comments sections around the internet, where social scientists are seeing more and more of what they\u2019re calling the \u201cnocebo effect\u201d taking shape: the experience of attributing symptoms to a medication that might not have to do with the medication itself \u2014 and, in some situations, shunning that medication as a result.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As many as 60% of oral contraceptive users opt to discontinue the meds after 24 months, often because of reported side effects. nenetus \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

In the case of birth control \u2014 a set of seriously under-studied drugs with little verified research on its many potential side effects \u2014 it\u2019s especially hard to tell fact from fiction or legitimate medical concern from TikTok hot air.<\/p>\n

Researchers at Sheffield University<\/a> in England wanted to see if and how the nocebo effect was influencing women\u2019s opinions on birth control \u2014\u00a0and whether it\u2019s contributing to the overall downward trend of oral contraceptive use in women of reproductive age.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In a recently published study, they detailed how some of the negative associations that women have with birth control<\/a> can potentially become a self-fulfilling prophecy. They also highlighted that some women might be exaggerating their symptoms or incorrectly attributing them to their oral contraceptives.<\/p>\n

Though birth control pills remain the top choice for contraceptives, research shows that as many as 60% of users opt to discontinue the meds after 24 months, often because of reported side effects.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Using data they\u2019d collected from 275 women ages 18 to 45 who had taken birth control pills in the previous 18 months, the Sheffield researchers were able to determine that side effects, whether real or perceived, are virtually ubiquitous<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nearly every survey participant reported experiencing at least one symptom, ranging from headaches to nausea, mood swings, acne, weight gain, weight loss and many others.<\/p>\n

Contraception should be tailored to individual patients\u2019 needs, but it\u2019s often prescribed as though it\u2019s one-size-fits-all. Pixel-Shot \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

Roughly 46% of participants said they discontinued use of their oral contraceptive during the 18-month study period.<\/p>\n

Of that cohort, 33% switched to a different oral contraceptive; 38% changed to a different form of contraception and \u2014\u00a0of the highest concern to the researchers \u2014 27% abandoned contraceptives altogether.<\/p>\n

A co-author of the study, psychology professor Dr. Rebecca Webster, told The Independent<\/a> that these numbers could be a reflection of negative social attitudes toward birth control pills more than a reflection of negative side effects of the pills.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf someone goes on the pill thinking, \u2018I\u2019m likely to feel bad or have side-effects,\u2019 that expectation itself raises the chance they\u2019ll notice symptoms and attribute them to the pill,\u201d Webster said.<\/p>\n

Side effects like mood changes, fatigue and headaches are \u201cnon-specific,\u201d she added, which means it\u2019s difficult to know what\u2019s really causing them. Such symptoms that are common in the general population might fluctuate for reasons other than the pill.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cDistinguishing whether the pill caused them versus a coincidence is difficult,\u201d Webster continued. \u201cWhat we do know is that psychological factors (expectations, beliefs, perceived sensitivity) may themselves generate or amplify symptom experience and attribution.\u201d<\/p>\n

But when a critical mass of women complains about the same symptoms, it\u2019s probably time for the medical community to listen to what they\u2019re saying and investigate those symptoms accordingly, rather than accuse those women of exaggerating their experiences.<\/p>\n

At least, that\u2019s the belief of Dr. Nap Hosang, an OB\/GYN and chief medical officer at Cadence OTC<\/a>, an emergency contraceptive provider.<\/p>\n

\u201cWomen patients still feel they\u2019re not being listened to, or that they\u2019re not being listened to as they would like to be,\u201d Hosang told The Post. \u201cThe responses they\u2019re getting from their doctors aren\u2019t addressing the issues that they brought to the conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Nap Hosang has worked in family planning for 40 years. The distrust of birth control has \u201calways been there,\u201d he said. Facebook \/ Nap Hosang<\/p>\n

If women on social media are sharing details of their experiences with birth control, he said, it\u2019s in medical providers\u2019 best interests to pay attention to what they\u2019re saying and to try to rebuild trust with that vulnerable demographic.<\/p>\n

Instead of blaming social media for propping up convenient (if not always accurate) information-sharing, medical providers need \u201cto be trained in approaches to the conversations with women who are entering reproductive life and what they need to know about taking these medications.\u201d And they should avoid denying that their reported side effects exist.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the training of physicians does not emphasize sufficiently the tact and techniques for listening and responsibly responding to questions about birth control,\u201d he explained. \u201cIt\u2019s become a commodity. Like, \u2018You want birth control? I\u2019ll write a prescription.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The truth is that birth control \u2014 whether it\u2019s the pill, an intrauterine device (IUD), a sponge or a condom \u2014\u00a0is never one size fits all. Doctors should be tailoring contraceptive recommendations to their patients\u2019 individual needs, Hosang said. That could mean suggesting non-hormonal options if a patient is prone to migraines, for example.<\/p>\n

The alternative is the nocebo effect \u2014 more women swearing off all kinds of birth control because of bad things they hear about a few specific types. A rise in\u00a0unwanted pregnancies<\/a> is just one possible outcome of that trajectory.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the meantime, Hosang suggests we might be better off researching contraceptive alternatives with better efficacy than \u201cnatural\u201d options like withdrawal (20% failure rate<\/a>) and fertility tracking apps (up to a 25% failure rate by some estimates<\/a>).\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy have we not put more time and effort into the research to find a better working product?\u201d Hosang wondered. \u201cFrankly, for the last 40 years, there\u2019s been no innovation in hormonal intervention, just repackaging it.\u201d<\/p>\n

If medical providers want their patients to trust the pills they prescribe, Hosang recommends taking a long look in the mirror.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe should try to fix our shop first,\u201d he said. \u201cThe nocebo effect has the power it has because we haven\u2019t fixed our shop in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n

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