Misconceptions, Misinformation, and Misperceptions: A Case for Removing the “Mis‐” When Discussing Contraceptive Beliefs

Abstract

Beliefs about contraception are commonly conceptualized as playing an important role in contraceptive decision‐making. Interventions designed to address beliefs typically include counseling to dispel any “myths” or “misconceptions.” These interventions currently show little evidence for impact in reducing beliefs. This commentary delves into the problems associated with using implicitly negative terminology to refer to contraceptive beliefs, which come laden with assumptions as to their validity. By conceptualizing women as getting it wrong or their beliefs as invalid, it sets the scene for dubious treatment of women's concerns and hampers the design of fruitful interventions to address them. To replace the multitude of terms used, we suggest using “belief” going forward to maintain value‐free curiosity and remove any implicit assumptions about the origin or validity of a belief. We provide recommendations for measuring beliefs to help researchers understand the drivers and impacts of the belief they are measuring. Finally, we discuss implications for intervention design once different types of belief are better understood. We argue that tailored interventions by belief type would help address the root causes of beliefs and better meet women's broader contraceptive needs, such as the need for contraceptive autonomy and satisfaction.

Experiences and impacts of side effects among contraceptive users in the UK: exploring individual narratives of contraceptive side effects

“…Taking a patient-centred approach to contraceptive counselling would ensure that the individual’s needs and preferences are taken into account [23], recognising the patient as the expert in their own experiences, values, and preferences [27]. Practitioners should aim to understand how side effect experiences and worries fit within a person’s wider life and explain the evidence available without dismissing users’ concerns [11]. To be able to counsel patients effectively, practitioners must know which contraceptive options are available, their potential side effects, and the typical risk of said side effects, especially among different groups of women.…”

Reasons for high prevalence of contraceptive withdrawal in Tehran, Iran

“…Women's beliefs and concerns about contraceptive methods affect subsequent contraceptive adoption, choice, and discontinuation 49 . So, program interventions addressing women's contraceptive concerns and needs should address "the root causes" of women's beliefs, attitudes, and evaluation of contraceptive methods, rather than call them "misconceptions", "misinformation" or misperception" 50 . The results of this study support the statement that "there is no 'best' contraceptive, that families can be planned without recourse to outside assistance, and that efficient contraception need not be modern contraception."…”

Exploring Language Used in Posts on r/birthcontrol: Case Study Using Data From Reddit Posts and Natural Language Processing to Advance Contraception Research

“…For prospective users, misinformation and misconceptions about contraceptive methods are known to be widespread, including those relating to the perceived safety and efficacy of certain methods [69][70][71]79]. While misconceptions about contraception are known to shape contraceptive decision-making and use [44,80,81], the impacts of web-based contraceptive misinformation on users are not well understood. Understanding misconceptions and uncertainty, particularly around the safety and efficacy of contraceptive methods, and the effects of misconceptions on contraceptive choices through content from social networking sites, could provide new avenues for understanding and addressing these misconceptions and facilitating informed contraceptive decision-making.…”