We are conducting qualitative analysis of user-generated digital content from social media, online support groups, and other platforms to inform family planning and reproductive health research. Through a novel machine learning-enabled approach to analyzing user-generated big data from digital communication platforms developed by former postdoctoral fellow Dr. Christiana von Hippel, researchers have used Reddit data to identify and describe women’s strategies for managing contraceptive side effects shared peer-to-peer online.

Currently, faculty are assessing the value of social media and online community data for family planning research. This research builds upon previous research exploring patients as innovators in their own health journey.