2023 #ThxBirthControl Survey Data

In November 2023, Power to Decide released our annual findings ahead of the 11th annual #ThxBirthControl day. We surveyed* 1,150 assigned-female-at-birth (AFAB) people between age 15 and 29, and asked questions about knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors and sources of health information related to birth control and abortion care. The following data forms a summary of select survey results.

• The majority of respondents (73%) indicated that they did not know of a clinic or health care provider that could go to if they wanted or needed an abortion in the near future. Of those, 41% reported that they did not know how they could find a clinic or health care provider.
• 83% have used a method of birth control at some point in their lives. 
• Over one-third (34.5%) of young people (age 15-29) have not received information about birth control in the past 12 months. 
• 28% disagree/strongly disagree that hormonal birth control is safe. Of those who did not receive information about birth control in the past year, one-third disagree/strongly disagree that hormonal birth control is safe.
• 25% of respondents age 20-29 said they’ve received information about birth control from social media in the last year.
• While the vast majority of those age 20-29 respondents want to get birth control information from their health care providers, less than half actually do.
  • 86% of respondents age 20-29 said they prefer to receive birth control information from their health care providers, however, less than 47% of 20-29 YO respondents actually got birth control information from a health care provider in the past year.
• Nearly one quarter (24%) of respondents age 15-19 say they do not have enough information to make a decision about the birth control method(s) that is best for them.
• Still, nearly three quarters (74%) of respondents agree that the benefits of birth control outweigh the side effects. 
• 94.4% agree/strongly agree that it is important to use a birth control method if you have penis-in-vagina sex and do not want to get pregnant.

For answers to specific questions about the survey data, please reach out to data@powertodecide.org.

*This study was conducted for Power to Decide using Ipsos probability-based online panel, KnowledgePanel. Data were collected from September 29, 2023 – October 6, 2023 among individuals 15 to 29 years of age, assigned female at birth. A total of 1,150 surveys were completed with a margin of error for total respondents of +/- 3.5 percentage points adjusted for design effect, at the 95% confidence level.