OCP discontinuation.

BackgroundWomen living in high-quality healthcare systems are more likely to use oral contraceptives at some point in their lives. Research findings have sparked controversial discussions about contraception in the scientific community and the media, potentially leading to higher rates of method discontinuation. Understanding the underlying motives for method discontinuation is crucial for reproductive health equity and future programming interventions. To address this question, this study aims to explore women’s experiences of oral contraceptive use and discontinuation on YouTube.MethodsA concurrent explanatory mixed-methods design was used to conduct content analysis of German YouTube videos. The information from 175 videos of 158 individuals was extracted through quantitative descriptive content analysis. Twenty-one individuals were included in the qualitative content analysis.FindingsThe body was a recurring theme in the pill biographies. Women described, for example, bodily sensations as reasons for taking and stopping the pill. They also described positive and negative side effects while taking the pill and after stopping. The most common side effects of taking the pill mentioned by YouTubers were mood swings (76/158), weight gain (45/158), headaches (33/158), and depressed mood (45/158). The symptoms after discontinuation reported most were facial skin impurities (108/158), decreased mood swings (47/158), hair loss (42/158), and weight loss (36/158). Overall, women overwhelmingly rated their discontinuation experience as positive (87/91).ConclusionsThe study identified key symptoms of oral contraceptive initiation and discontinuation by portraying the experiences of female YouTubers, adding valuable insights to the understanding of method initiation and discontinuation. Further research is needed to explore women’s personal experiences with method discontinuation beyond the YouTube platform.背景 在优质医疗保障体系中生活的女性，在人生的任一阶段使用口服避孕药的概率更高。相关研究结论在科学界与媒体中引发了关于避孕方式的争议性讨论，这可能推高避孕方法的停用率。明确避孕方法停用的深层动因，对于实现生殖健康公平以及规划未来的干预措施至关重要。为解答这一问题，本研究旨在探索女性在YouTube平台上分享的口服避孕药使用与停用经历。 方法 本研究采用并行解释型混合研究设计，对德语YouTube视频开展内容分析。研究人员通过定量描述性内容分析，从158位发布者的175条视频中提取相关信息；定性内容分析则纳入了21位发布者的分享数据。 结果 身体是口服避孕药服用历程中的核心主题。例如，女性将身体感受作为开始服用与停用避孕药的动因，同时她们还描述了服药期间及停药后的正面与负面副作用。视频发布者提及的最常见服药副作用包括情绪波动（76/158）、体重增加（45/158）、头痛（33/158）以及情绪低落（45/158）。而停药后报告最多的症状则为面部皮肤瑕疵（108/158）、情绪波动缓解（47/158）、脱发（42/158）以及体重下降（36/158）。总体而言，绝大多数女性对自身的停药体验给出了正面评价（87/91）。 结论 本研究通过呈现女性YouTube创作者的分享经历，明确了口服避孕药启动使用与停用的关键症状，为理解避孕方法的启动与停用机制提供了宝贵见解。未来仍需开展进一步研究，以探索YouTube平台之外女性对避孕方法停用的个人体验。