Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) ages 13- 25 navigate an increasingly complex health information environment—or infosphere1—shaped by the expansion of the internet and social media.2,3 As health content becomes more ubiquitous, persuasive, and politicized, exploring patients’ digital infospheres is critical.1 Contraceptive information is particularly common. In 2024, almost half of surveyed women aged 18-25 and nearly one in five female adolescents under 18 in the United States (U.S.) reported encountering contraception-related content on social media.4,5 Variability of U.S. sexual education,6 concerns about contraceptive misinformation,7 and a legal landscape that restricts reproductive healthcare access post-Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization,8 makes it essential to understand the contraceptive content AYAs encounter.9 Parents and caregivers remain influential in AYA contraceptive access and choices10 highlighting the need to simultaneously examine their exposures.

Social media and networking analyses have found that contraceptive content often skews negative and sometimes includes misinformation.11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 Yet these platforms also offer peer support and amplify lived experiences, such as discussions around intrauterine device (IUD) insertion pain.18,19 Reddit—a platform with over 100,000 active communities (“subreddits”)20— serves as a key source of health information, experiences, and support.21,22 Reddit is pseudonymous, where usernames typically do not reveal users’ real identities, and subreddits are primarily public, allowing viewers without an account to read content.23 These features make Reddit a compelling space for discussions on sensitive health topics, including contraception.21,22 In 2024, “Reddit” was the 6th most Googled word in the U.S.,20 and although data are not available for minors, almost half of U.S. 18–25-year-olds surveyed in 2024 reported using the site,24 possibly an undercount due to “lurking” by people without accounts.

While Reddit has been used to study AYA information-seeking around sexual behaviors and relationships,25 to our knowledge, no studies analyze online content—on Reddit or other sites—specifically related to AYA contraception. Our objective was to provide a summary of adolescent-specific contraceptive information sought and shared by AYA and caregivers posting on Reddit, as well as to describe potential misconceptions and post sentiments. Investigating contraceptive discussions on Reddit can illuminate one facet of the adolescent infosphere, offering insights that help clinicians address knowledge gaps and support patients and caregivers.