Articles and posts point out increasing rates of IUD and vasectomy appointments

Other posts discussed a court decision ending Wyoming’s abortion ban and shared misleading claims about mammograms.

Recent news articles and social media posts noted that appointments for intrauterine devices, birth control implants, and vasectomies at Planned Parenthood dramatically increased the day after the U.S. presidential election. In response, some posts from anti-abortion advocates expressed disdain for birth control, while others called the news a “win,” suggesting that more IUDs and vasectomies will lead to fewer abortions. In other discussions, posts highlighted a judge’s decision last month to end Wyoming’s near-total ban on in-clinic and medication abortions—which had previously been on hold—and recirculated false and misleading claims about mammogram risks.

In response, communicators may share information about birth control methods; update materials outlining local abortion laws; share how people can access abortion pills; and recirculate information about mammogram safety and breast cancer prevention.

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What’s trending nationally in reproductive health conversation:

Several recent posts shared information from articles published in late November highlighting increasing rates of appointments for IUDs, birth control implants, and vasectomies following the U.S. presidential election. Planned Parenthood reported that between November 5 and November 6, IUD appointments increased by 760 percent and vasectomy appointments surged by 1,200 percent. One X post from the president and founder of an anti-abortion group shared this information and stated, “Today’s Leftist ideology is built on fear of children, the future, and life itself. Truly sad.” The post received approximately 1.9 million views, 41,000 likes, 5,800 reposts, and 5,800 comments as of December 3. Top comments disagreed with the post’s sentiment, calling the news “a win for us” because “this actually means fewer abortions.” 

On November 18, a Wyoming judge struck down the state’s near-total ban on medication abortion and all methods of abortion, stating that those laws “impede the fundamental right to make health care decisions for an entire class of people, pregnant women.” The judge had already stalled the enforcement of Wyoming’s two abortion bans while the case moved forward, and while the recent decision blocks the laws for good, the state will likely appeal. Social media posts across multiple platforms discussed the decision. One Facebook post from a local news outlet received approximately 1,000 reactions, 100 shares, and 770 comments as of December 3. Comments were mixed, with some celebrating the news and others claiming that abortion is not health care.

On November 30, an X post falsely claimed that Switzerland banned mammograms due to false positives and increased risk of cancer due to repeat exposure to radiation, although Switzerland has not banned mammograms and recommends regular screening. The post received approximately 2.4 million views, 26,000 likes, 10,000 reposts, and 730 comments as of December 3. Another recent and unrelated X post shared the misleading claim that mammograms cause cancer, receiving approximately 2.1 million views. These posts echoed similar false and misleading claims about mammograms that were shared last month. Many comments expressed concern about mammograms, but some attempted to debunk the claims and correctly stated that mammograms save lives.

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Recommendations for public health professionals

Each week, the Infodemiology.com team will provide messaging recommendations in response to some of the trending narratives outlined above. These helpful tips can be used when creating content, updating web and FAQ pages, and developing strategy for messaging about reproductive health. 

Online conversations about IUDs, birth control implants, and vasectomies provide an opportunity to educate the public about how these types of birth control work, how long they are effective, and where people can access them. Messaging may explain an IUD is a small device inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy. Copper IUDs do not have hormones and protect against pregnancy for up to 12 years. Hormonal IUDs use the hormone progestin to prevent pregnancy for three to six years. Birth control implants are inserted in a patient’s arm and release hormones to prevent pregnancy for up to four years. IUDs and birth control implants are 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy. A vasectomy is a minor surgical procedure that prevents pregnancy by stopping people with penises from releasing sperm into semen. Vasectomies are meant to be permanent, and they are more than 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy. However, it takes at least two months for the procedure to fully prevent sperm from entering semen. A health care provider can test the patient’s semen eight to 16 weeks after getting a vasectomy to ensure that sperm is not present. People can access IUDs, birth control implants, and vasectomies from their health care provider or at their local Planned Parenthood or health clinic.

In light of false claims that abortion is not health care, messaging may emphasize that the World Health Organization and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists agree that abortion is an essential form of health care because it is the safest way to end a pregnancy. Ensuring that materials outlining abortion laws in your state are up to date is also recommended—particularly for public health departments, community organizations, and other partners in Wyoming and other states with ongoing legal challenges. Sharing where people can access abortion pills in your state is also recommended.

In response to false and misleading claims about mammograms, communicators may recirculate breast cancer screening recommendations. The CDC recommends that people who are 40 to 74 years old and are at average risk for breast cancer get a mammogram every two years. Getting regular mammograms is the most effective way to reduce the risk of dying from breast cancer, since they detect cancer early. Messaging may emphasize that the risk associated with the small amount of radiation used in mammograms is low and that everyone is already exposed to a small amount of naturally occuring radiation daily.