Contraception and the media: lessons past, present and future

The rise in social media and the pressure on conventional media to garner online hits has the potential to distort the quality of health information available to the consumer. It should be possible to learn from the 'scares' of the past to develop strategies to counter the effects of misinformation and scaremongering so commonly seen in any discussion of contraceptive risks. That balanced, evidence-based information is available to all couples considering their contraceptive options should be a priority for all clinicians, academics and journalists working in this area.