A recent study conducted in Canada has found that daily use of contraceptives might have an impact on certain brain regions
“responsible for decision-making and impulse control,”
reports the New York Post. The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Endocrinology, examined how oral contraceptives can affects the brain. These contraceptives are widely used by approximately two-thirds of 15 to 49-year-old women in America, as indicated by 2018 data. The study specifically focused on investigating the role of
“naturally and synthetically produced”
hormones in the processing of fear.
According to Alexandra Brouillard, the study author and a researcher at Université du Québec à Montréal, individuals who are prescribed combined oral contraceptives are told that it will stop their menstrual cycle and prevention of ovulation. However, the study suggests that the effects of these pills on brain development have not been properly explored. The researchers enlisted 139 women aged 23 to 35 who were currently using oral contraceptives, had ceased using them, or never used hormonal birth control at all, in addition to 41 men.
The results showed that women using birth control had
“a thinner ventromedial prefrontal cortex”
compared to men.
This region is responsible for regulating emotions, particularly in safe situations by decreasing fear signals.
Brouillard notes that this thinning could potentially impair
“emotional regulation.”
However, the study suggests that the thinning may be reversible once an individual stops taking the pill, as former birth control users did not exhibit the same results.
However, the study authors emphasize the need for further research to validate these findings and address remaining uncertainties. They said that their objective is not to discourage women from using birth control but to raise awareness about their potential effects on the brain and promote
“scientific interest in women’s health,”
particularly in relation to the “early prescription”of contraceptives. Previous research has also linked contraceptive use during teenage years to an increased risk of depression.
#Clique, what are your thoughts?
