Study Links Mood Swings to the Pill

birth controlA team of British and Swedish researchers have discovered what women have been saying for decades – the Pill triggers mood swings and fatigue.

The Daily Mail is reporting on a new study published in the journal Fertility and Society which found that women who were prescribed the combined version of the Pill, which contains synthetic versions of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, do indeed suffer a lower quality due to mood swings and lower energy levels.

It is widely believed that the Pill can affect the chemical balance in the brain but these potential side effects are not noted by any medical bodies which leaves many women unaware of the risks of this medication.

Scientists from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden conducted their study on 340 women between the ages of 18 and 35 who were randomly assigned to either receive a Pill containing etinylestradiol and levonorgestrel or a placebo. Neither group was told which pill they were taking and were both monitored for three months.

The women who took the combination pills reported overall reduced well-being  dueu ton negative impacts on mood, self-control and energy, leading to a lower quality of life.

Researchers say that the results should be approached with caution because of the small study size, and say the findings cannot be applied to other types of contraceptive pills.

Professor Niklas Zethraeus, of the Institute, said more doctors should be aware of the risks before prescribing these Pills to women.

“This might in some cases be a contributing cause of low compliance and irregular use of contraceptive pills,” Zethraeus said. “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.”

Professor Angelica Linden Hirschberg, also involved in the research, said too little is known about the Pill.

“Despite the fact 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 randomized studies where it is compared with placebos.”

This is just the latest in a long list of medical evidence that has been piling up recently on the dangers of the pill.

Last year a Danish study conducted at the University of Copenhagen found a connection between combined hormonal Pills and increased use of antidepressants. This study assessed more than a million women and found that the risk of being prescribed antidepressants jumped by 23 percent in women between the ages of 20 and 34. The risk jumps to 80 percent for teenaged girls.

As of today, the National Cancer Society reports that while taking the Pill can lower the risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer, it increases the risk of breast, cervical and liver cancer.

A recent book by women’s health activist and writer Holly Griggs-Spall entitled Sweetening the Pill: How We Got Hooked on Hormonal Birth Control did much to bring to light the health risks of the Pill and how little women are being told about its dangers.

This pamphlet entitled, Women’s Lives Matter: How the Birth Control Industry is Destroying Women’s Lives, documents some of the most recent research into the health risks of synthetic hormonal contraception. It is available here as a free download.

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