JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

It is now common to search for health information online, yet not much is known about online searches related to birth control. A 2013 PEW Research Center survey found that 77% of online health seekers began their query at a search engine. The widespread use of online health information seeking also applies to women’s reproductive health. Despite online interest in birth control, not much is known about related interests and concerns reflected in the search terms in the United States.

Objective:

In this study, we identify the top search terms on Google related to birth control in Louisiana and Mississippi and compare those results to the broader United States, examining how the Google searches have evolved over time and identifying regional variation within states.

Methods:

We accessed search data on birth control from 2014- 2018 from two proprietary Google Application Program Interfaces (APIs), Google Trends and Google Health Trends. We selected Google as it is the most commonly used search engine. We focused our analysis on data from 2017 and comparisons with 2018 data were made as appropriate. To assess trends, we analyzed data from 2014 through 2018. To compare the relative search frequencies of the top queries across Louisiana, Mississippi and the United States, we used the Google Health Trends API. Relative search volume by designated marketing area (DMA) gave us the rankings of search volume for each birth control method in each DMA as compared to one another.

Results:

Results showed that when people search for birth control in Louisiana and the broader United States, they are searching for information on a diverse spectrum of methods. This differs from Mississippi, where the data indicate people were mainly searching for information related to birth control pills. Across all locations, searches for birth control pills were significantly higher than any other queries related to birth control in the United States, Louisiana and Mississippi and this trend remained constant from 2014-2018. Regional level analysis shows variations in search traffic for birth control across each state.

Conclusions:

The Internet is a growing source of health information for many users, including information on birth control. Understanding popular Google search queries on birth control can inform in-person discussion initiated by family planning practitioners and inform birth control messaging.