Abstract:

Background: Social media, which is also used as a form of social support, is widely accepted in part due to its availability, ease of access and social acceptability of resources at any time of the day. In this context, it is aimed to examine the use of social media and its effects on women's contraception methods in this study. Materials and Methods: The study is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The data were collected by using a ques-tionnaire prepared by the researchers questioning the socio-demographic, obstetric, gynecological characteris-tics and contraception histories of the women, and a personal information form for the use of social media to obtain information about contraception. Number and percentage distribution, mean and standard deviation were used in the analysis of the data. Results: It was determined that the mean age of the women was 34.93±7.41 (range: 18-48), 67.0% of them were associate degree / undergraduate / graduate degrees and 26.4% of them worked in a job that generates income. It was determined that all of the women in this study used more than one social media account, 74.3% of them confirmed the accuracy of the information obtained from social media with a health professional, and the most sought-after information about contraception methods was aimed at increasing general knowledge. Conclusions: It was concluded that the women in this study widely use social media as a source of information. Important contributions can be made to women's health by examining social media content and sharing accurate information by health professionals so that women can access reliable information. Key Words: Unwanted pregnancy, Health education, Social media, Contraception, Midwifery