One-Sided and unbalanced? An automated descriptive large-scale analysis of contraceptive information on German Instagram posts

Background: Instagram has become an important source of contraceptive information, particularly among younger age groups. Yet, existing research has relied on small, manually collected samples with a special focus on the contraceptive pill. This study addresses this gap by using automated data analysis and examining the presentation of both hormonal and non-hormonal contraceptive methods, focusing on named barriers and benefits in the context of these methods.Methods Automated data collection via the Meta Content Library API was used to retrieve publicly available German Instagram posts about contraceptive methods (N = 33,596). The two most frequently mentioned contraceptive methods were identified. The barriers and benefits were identified through a literature review and a keyword-in-context analysis. Afterward, a co-occurrence analysis was conducted to examine how often the identified barriers and benefits are mentioned together in a post with the two contraceptive methods.Results Hormonal contraceptive methods, particularly the pill, were mentioned most frequently, followed by natural contraception, particularly the abbreviation of natural family planning ‘NFP’. The analyses revealed a striking polarisation: the pill was predominantly framed in terms of barriers, while NFP was predominantly framed in terms of benefits.Conclusion Contraceptive information on German Instagram is characterised by a one-sided and unbalanced presentation of contraceptive methods. These findings carry significant public health implications, highlighting the need for balanced, evidence-based health communication on social media.