Taking the most common contraceptive pills can make women miserable, research shows
Study reveals mood, sense of well-being and energy levels are dragged down — while self-control was also hit
TAKING one of the most common contraceptive pills can make women miserable, says a study.
They reported their mood, sense of well-being and energy levels were dragged down, while their self- control was also hit.
The tablets tested contained ethinylestradiol — synthetic oestrogen — and levonorgestrel, both found in the best-known pill Microgynon, as well as Rigevidon.
Researcher Niklas Zethraeus said: “This might in some cases be a contributing cause of low compliance and irregular use of contraceptive pills.
“This possible degradation of quality of life should be paid attention to and taken into account in conjunction with prescribing of contraceptive pills and when choosing a method of contraception.”
A team at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, gave real pills or placebos to 340 women aged 18 to 35 for three months. None knew which group they were in, but those taking the drugs said their quality of life was significantly lower than those on the fakes.
Calling for more studies, Prof Angelica Lindén Hirschberg said: “Despite the fact that an estimated 100 million women around the world use contraceptive pills we know surprisingly little today about the pill’s effect on women’s health.
“The scientific base is very limited as regards the contraceptive pill’s effect on quality of life and depression and there is a great need for randomised studies where it is compared with placebos.”
The findings are published in the scientific journal Fertility and Sterility.