Mind the Knowledge Gap: Hormonal Birth Control and Risk Perception Among Young Norwegian Women

The study is motivated by a recent decline in the sales of hormonal contraception coupled with an increase in the abortion rate and sales of emergency contraception among young Norwegian women. This trend coincides with negative framing of the use of hormonal contraception on social media platforms. This study examines young Norwegian women's risk perception associated with hormonal contraception, the information sources they use and trust, and how these factors influence their contraceptive choices. Methods: Our theoretical perspective is anchored in the psychometric paradigm, heuristics and social amplification of risk, and the collected data comprise of qualitative interviews, a survey, and a document analysis. Results: Our findings suggest that young Norwegian women have a high perceived risk linked to the use of hormonal contraception, particularly with regard to common side effects such as depression/low mood and hormonal imbalances. This can be linked to notions of dread, unknown and/or delayed consequences, and unfairness, coupled with representativeness and availability heuristics. With limited input from healthcare providers, young women turn to friends and social media for guidance - often without openly admitting to it. In informal settings, advice to stop using hormonal contraception is common. Conclusions: Social media and friends can amplify concerns about the harmful side effects of hormonal contraception. This may explain the recent decline in hormonal contraception use coupled with rising abortion rates among young Norwegian women.

Keywords: Health risk, Hormonal contraception, Risk perception, Women's health, Social media, Societal safety.