Dr. Lee Howard believes the findings of a 2023 women’s health study should be considered when teens think about taking the combined pill.
Being one of the 1.1 billion women around the world who rely on c:ontraception often means managing a wide range of potential side effects every day.
And these side effects aren’t limited to just one form of birth control—injectables can lead to weight gain, intrauterine devices (IUDs) may cause pain during insertion, and c0nd0ms can 0:ccasionally fail.
Until recently, however, many women said they were unaware that taking the c:ontraceptive pill during their teenage years may significantly increase the risk of developing a serious long-term condition.
For those unfamiliar with how oral c:ontraceptives work, combined pills contain both oestrogen and progestogen, which prevent the ovaries from releasing an egg each month. They do this by mimicking the body’s natural hormone patterns.
According to social media health professional Dr. Lee Howard, findings from a 2023 study suggest that long-term use of the c:ontraceptive pill may be linked to a higher risk of depression—particularly when started during the teenage years.
Since the pill became widely available, researchers have consistently examined whether there’s a correlation between hormonal c:ontraceptives and an increased risk of mood disorders.
Dr. Howard highlighted a 2023 study by Johansson, Anderl, Sundström-Poromaa, and others, which involved 264,557 women. It revealed that those who began taking the pill as teenagers were 130% more likely to be diagnosed with depression—and that this increased risk often persisted even 15 years later.
In contrast, women who started the pill in their 20s had only a slight, temporary increase in depression risk.
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To ensure accuracy, the study also accounted for participants’ income, education, physical health, and family history of mental illness. In some cases, even sisters were compared to help rule out genetic influences.
Dr. Howard proposed several possible explanations for the pattern. He suggested that using hormonal birth control during adolescence could disrupt serotonin and dopamine regulation, affect brain development, or alter the body’s long-term response to stress.
While Dr. Howard does not recommend that all teens stop using the pill, he strongly believes that young women should be monitored more closely for changes in mood—and that any symptoms of depression should be taken seriously by healthcare providers.
Source: tyla.com