Posts and articles share concerns about Louisiana’s misoprostol law
Other posts discussed the ethics of IVF and Oklahoma’s ban on abortion referrals.
Other posts discussed the ethics of IVF and Oklahoma’s ban on abortion referrals.
Recent online conversations about reproductive health focused heavily on Louisiana’s law reclassifying misoprostol as a controlled substance, which will go into effect next month. In other discussions, X users debated whether frozen embryos used during in vitro fertilization are children, with some citing the Alabama Supreme Court’s February ruling that frozen embryos should be considered children. Plus, social media posts on multiple platforms discussed the Supreme Court’s decision to bar Oklahoma from receiving federal family planning grants due to the state’s ban on abortion referrals, with some posts claiming that the availability of birth control makes abortion referrals “unnecessary.”
In response to these conversations, communicators may share information about what misoprostol is and its many purposes, as well as information about how IVF works. Communicators may also outline the difference between birth control and abortion.
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What’s trending nationally in conversations about reproductive health
In May, Louisiana passed a law classifying misoprostol (a medication used in abortion and IUD insertion, as well as in treatment for miscarriage, postpartum hemorrhage, and stomach ulcers) and mifepristone (a medication used to end a pregnancy) as controlled substances. The law will go into effect on October 1, and recent news articles about its expected impact have sparked conversation online. An article in a Louisiana newspaper included interviews with doctors who stated that the law will limit access to misoprostol during emergencies. The article reported that some hospitals are preemptively pulling misoprostol from obstetric hemorrhage emergency carts, since controlled substances must be stored and accessed differently than other medications. However, Louisiana patients will still be able to access misoprostol with a prescription beginning in October. The author of the article shared it on X, where the post received approximately 1.9 million views, 10,000 likes, 8,900 shares, and 460 comments as of September 10. Most comments echoed the doctors’ concerns. One repost—which received approximately 90,700 views, 3,400 likes, 1,400 reposts, and 20 comments as of September 10—stated, “Republican laws are stripping *obstetric hemorrhage carts* of vital medication. When we say abortion bans kill women, we’re not exaggerating.”
On September 4, an anti-abortion advocate shared a video clip from a 2023 podcast episode—which features a doctor advocating against IVF—on X and claimed that “15 children on average are created per 1 live birth” with IVF. That post received approximately 162,100 views, 1,800 likes, 700 reposts, and 170 comments as of September 10. In the comments, X users argued about whether a frozen embryo is a child and whether IVF is a “moral” practice.
On September 3, the Supreme Court rejected Oklahoma’s request to restore federal family planning grants that were withheld after the state stopped providing abortion referrals. Several news articles covered the ruling, and those articles spread across X, Facebook, and Reddit. Comments on the posts were heated and mixed. Some stated that refusing to provide abortion referrals is “cruel.” Others said that Democrats “should just get their tubes tied” and that providing information about abortion is “unnecessary” since birth control is available.
Recommendations brought to you by the health communication experts behind Infodemiology.com.
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.
In light of conversations about misoprostol, communicators may share information about what misoprostol is used for and its safety. Messaging may emphasize that misoprostol is used in a number of medical procedures and lifesaving treatments, including treatment for postpartum hemorrhage. It is also used in medication abortion. Decades of research shows that medication abortion is a safe and effective way to end a pregnancy and that the risk of major complications is less than 1 percent. Sharing how people can access abortion pills in your state is recommended. Patients in Louisiana can still get abortion pills with a doctor’s prescription despite the reclassification. However, abortion is only legal in Louisiana if there is a fatal fetal abnormality or if the pregnant person’s health or life is at risk.
Conversations about IVF provide an opportunity to share how this form of fertility treatment works. Communicators may explain that IVF is a safe procedure that involves collecting mature eggs from ovaries and fertilizing those eggs with sperm in a lab. Then, one or more fertilized eggs are implanted in a person’s uterus. Some insurance plans cover IVF, and some state laws mandate that IVF medications are covered.