Women’s Experiences Accessing Health Information Online: Trusted Sources and Contraceptive Information Findings from the 2026 KFF Women's Health Survey Authors: Brittni Frederiksen, Alina Salganicoff, Ivette Gomez, Karen Diep, and Usha Ranji Published: Sep 16, 2026

Women’s Experiences Accessing Health Information Online: Trusted Sources and Contraceptive Information Findings from the 2026 KFF Women's Health Survey Authors: Brittni Frederiksen, Alina Salganicoff, Ivette Gomez, Karen Diep, and Usha Ranji Published: Sep 16, 2026 https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/womens-experiences-accessing-health-information-online-trusted-sources-and-contraceptive-information/?utm_campaign=KFF-Womens-Health-Policy&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8nU2XjgD5dWMARWUpWpoSye9DCxhYRlMWoKIHsUBrwek5SbEJ2WG5BosbAGmmEWL_tWoNlhbBlA_Zni3RGPUh-Za_VXA&_hsmi=439273126&utm_content=439273126&utm_source=hs_email Contraceptive Content on Social Media Spurs Many Women to Seek More Information — and Some to Change Their Birth Control As social media becomes a routine source of health information, a new brief with findings from KFF’s 2026 Women’s Health Survey offers an early look at how the information women encounter online translates into real-world decisions about their contraceptive care. Contact: Mikhaila Richards | 202-654-1328 | MRichards@kff.org The survey shows that almost one in 10 reproductive-age women (ages 18-49) who saw or heard something about contraception on social media (35%) either started or changed to a new birth control method (9%) or stopped using their hormonal birth control (8%), and far more sought out more information (36%) or talked with a doctor about what they saw or heard (19%). Women in their late teens and twenties were more likely than older women to do more online research (including consulting with AI), talk with their health provider, or make changes to their contraceptive method in response to what they saw or heard on social media. The brief also examines the false or misleading claims women are likely to encounter on social media or elsewhere as well as their most trusted sources for information about contraception. For example, about half (53%) of women ages 18-49 say they have seen or heard the false claim that hormones in contraceptives are harmful to their health. Despite exposure to such misinformation, health care providers remain the most trusted source of information about contraception. About the 2026 KFF Women’s Health Survey The 2026 KFF Women’s Health Survey is a nationally representative survey of 4,688 women and 1,148 men ages 18 to 64, fielded March 11–April 14, 2026. Findings on contraception and social media in this release focus on reproductive-age women (n=3,538) and men (n=840).