Social media narratives regarding Opill(R): public discourse analysis around the first over-the-counter birth control pill

On 13 July 2023, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the country’s first daily over-the-counter contraceptive pill containing norgestrel 75 μg and known by the brand name Opill®.1 Having become available to the public in early 2024, this represented an important opportunity for contraceptive access, autonomy and privacy. However, it also heightened the importance of public-facing information regarding correct use, side effects and efficacy, particularly on social media platforms which are used frequently among young adults and increasingly for discourse around healthcare.2 3 This study examined TikTok narratives on Opill® to assess the volume, content and sentiment of the product online early in its release.

A cross-sectional content analysis of publicly available TikTok videos was conducted. Using Apify, TikTok videos were scraped (programmatically collected from public sources) on 21 January 2025, using “Opill” and “O-Pill” as search terms. English language videos were…

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