Is the 'pill pause' worth it?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-09-28 01:00

International

Photo by Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition on Unsplash

When taking the contraceptive pill, the four to seven days of placebo pills taken during the cycle, known as the pill pause, may result in negative mental health symptoms similar to what women having a natural period might experience, according to international researchers. The team looked at 180 long-term contraceptive pill users during the pill pause and said the women experienced significant mood deterioration. While the team says the effects of the pill and reasons for taking it vary from person to person, the study raises questions about whether a pill pause is beneficial for women who are taking the contraceptive pill for mental health reasons.

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Journal/
conference: JAMA Network Open

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: University of Salzburg, Austria

Funder: This study was funded by grant BECONTRA 850953 from the European Research Council (Dr Pletzer) and the PhD Program “Imaging the Mind” funded by the Austrian Science Fund (Ms Noachtar).

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