Follow
A Dutch research team proved that women taking contraceptives are exposed to depression.
STATES CHRONICLE – Women on the pill may consider contraceptives a cause of depression. Researchers have discovered that recently many women who take contraceptives are exposed to depressive disorder. A study conducted by a Dutch research team had tested a million women. Those women who were taking contraceptives were with 23% more exposed to depression than the other ones. When the study has involved teenagers, the numbers got up to 80%.
Scientists published this study on September 28 in JAMA Psychiatry magazine. They had further discovered that other contraceptives like the vaginal ring, the patch or hormonal IUD were representing an even bigger cause of depression. After the study had been conducted, experts revealed that women who were using progestin-only pills had a risk of depression with 34% greater than women who didn’t. Those persons taking hormonal IUD and women who used the ring had unveiled even more significant numbers, 40%, and 60% respectively, compared with the ladies who did not take birth control measures.
The research conducted by scientists from the University of Copenhagen represented the largest study based on this problem. This study dated back to 2000 and ended in 2013, after monitoring a million women with ages between 15 and 34 who had no history of depression. Experts made use of the social security number of those ladies, tracking both contraceptives prescriptions and depression diagnosis.
Specialists noticed that after six months on the pill, women began exposing this as a cause of depression. After more years of use, the risks started to drop. They have also proved that women who have taken birth control measures later in their life were less exposed to depressive disorders.
In the US, 99% of sexually active females are using or had used birth control at some point. Studies have shown that 62% of women are currently using one or even more types of birth control methods. Female sterilization and the pill are preferable methods of contraception, each favored by ¼ of women. Professor Ojvind Lidegaard, one of the Dutch team members, claims that women should be fully aware of the risks they expose themselves to when using contraceptives. Their mental health is at stake.
Do you believe that contraceptives are at the core of depression or are there even more concerning causes that contribute to the developing of psychological damages and need to be controlled?
Image courtesy of: wikipedia
