Teen Reproductive Health Information Seeking and Sharing Post-Roe

Abstract

It has always been challenging for teens to access consistent and reliable information about their reproductive health. But we know little about the impact of recent changes to laws governing sex education and the right to abortion on teen reproductive health information seeking and sharing. We conducted interviews with 15 teens, finding that, post-Roe, teens are concerned about risks to their reproductive health data, particularly as it relates to what they search and share on social media and period tracking apps. Different assessments of risk related to sexual activity, state laws, social context, and cultural and family values dictate information practices. But social risk (like being harassed or doxxed) is the biggest driver of information seeking and sharing practices among mostly non-sexually active teens. We describe the complexities of teens navigating reproductive health post-Roe and offer some guidance about teen technology and privacy literacy.