Ole Miss researchers flag birth control knowledge gap among young women

In Oxford, a University of Mississippi study suggests the birth control conversation has moved faster than the public’s understanding of it. Among U.S. adolescents and young women surveyed by Ole Miss researchers, the average score on nine questions about pill use, effectiveness, indication, mechanism of action, risks and side effects was 4.08 out of 9.

The biggest weak spots were practical ones: participants most often missed questions about side effects, how the pill prevents pregnancy and what to do after missing doses. Even among respondents who said they were interested in over-the-counter birth control, the average score was only slightly higher at 4.11 out of 9. About 45% of the participants lived in the South, with 20% in the Midwest and 20% in the West, giving the findings a regional reach that includes Mississippi.

The study was led by Ivy Leong, a graduate student in the Ole Miss School of Pharmacy, and Erin Holmes, a professor of pharmacy administration and research professor in the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Holmes said the goal was to help health care professionals, including pharmacists, better understand how to educate and support this population. That point lands close to home in Lafayette County, where students and residents often turn first to local pharmacists, clinics and campus health resources for everyday health questions.

The timing matters because birth control is easier to buy than it used to be. The Food and Drug Administration approved Opill, the first daily oral contraceptive available without a prescription in the United States, on July 13, 2023, and said nonprescription access may reduce barriers. The FDA says the pill can be bought at drug stores, convenience stores, grocery stores and online. But easier access does not solve a knowledge problem if young people do not know how to use a method correctly or what to do when they miss a dose.

Federal guidance updated in 2024 says contraceptive counseling should remove unnecessary barriers, address missed pills and side effects, and support person-centered care. CDC materials also note that most contraceptive methods do not protect against sexually transmitted infections, and that condom use can help protect against HIV and other STIs. That makes clear, straightforward counseling especially important when young women are choosing among methods with different tradeoffs in effectiveness, affordability, accessibility and ease of use.

Mississippi’s broader reproductive-health landscape adds urgency. Power to Decide defines a contraceptive desert as a county without reasonable access to a health center offering the full range of contraceptive methods, and recent public-health coverage has said about 36% of Mississippi women live in such deserts. The Mississippi State Department of Health says Family Planning Waivers can provide sexual and reproductive health services, annual visits, contraceptives and sterilization services free of charge for eligible uninsured residents.

For Oxford and Lafayette County, the message is plain: availability is only part of the answer. Clear counseling, local access and basic contraceptive literacy now carry as much weight as the pill on the shelf.