2023-06-18 10:11:01
The contraceptive pill carries an increased risk of depression for women and teenage girls. This is the conclusion of a new study published in the journal Epidemiology and Psychatric Studies.
Women who take the pill since their teens show up to 130% more symptoms of depression. For women who started taking the pill in adulthood, the risk increases to 92%. The researchers found that the risk of depression does indeed decrease after two years of pill use. Still, the risk remains strong for teens, even if they stop taking the pill. The latter does not appear to be the case in adults. More than 264,000 women participated in the study.
«Hormonal changes»
“The strong influence of the contraceptive pill on teenagers may be due to hormonal changes they experience during puberty,” said lead researcher Therese Johansson of Uppsala University, Sweden.
Many advantages
Still, Johansson emphasizes that many women generally tolerate the pill well and experience no negative effects on their mood. «The combined contraceptive pill is still an excellent option for many women. It enables women to prevent unplanned pregnancies, as well as diseases such as ovarian and cervical cancer.”
This does not alter the fact that women and girls actually have an increased risk of depression if they take the pill. “While contraception has many benefits for women, both physicians and patients should be informed about the side effects identified in this and previous research,” concludes Johansson.
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This article first appeared on Metro: https://www.metrotime.be/nl/spotlight/de-pil-verhoogt-het-risico-op-depressie-bij-vrouwen-en-meisjes
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