Fewer Women Are Using Birth Control Pills in the U.S.

Fewer women in the United States are opting for birth control pills than before, according to KFF data. Where 33 percent of women aged 18 to 49 years old said they used oral contraceptives in 2022, that had ticked down to 29 percent in 2024. After male condoms, the pill is still the most commonly used form of contraception in the U.S.

Recently, there has been a growing number of influencers on TikTok criticizing different forms of hormonal birth control and promoting tracking fertility cycle apps instead. This goes against experts’ advice, which states that contraceptives such as the pill and IUDs are safe and effective and that risks have been exaggerated online.

This is a trend that has been seen in other countries too. The BBC reports that in the United Kingdom, some women are moving away from “hormonal” products such as the pill to “natural” fertility tracking apps. While in Germany, health concerns have been cited in recent years, with younger women in particular moving away from the pill.

The KFF reports that almost four in ten (39 percent) of women of reproductive age have heard something on social media about birth control in the past 12 months, including half (49 percent) of women aged 18 to 25. Meanwhile, one in seven women aged 18 to 25 said they made a change or thought about making a change to their birth control method because of something they saw or heard on social media.

2024 data shows that emergency contraception increased by 5 percentage points compared to two years prior. This brings it to 12 percent of U.S. women aged 18 to 49.