--- title: Does hormone change across the menstrual cycle affect how a woman's voice sounds? description: Yes. Hormone changes across the menstrual cycle affect the pitch and qualities of the voice. Oral contraceptive pills appear to stabilize these changes. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/fundamental-frequency-variations-across-the-menstrual-cycle-and-the-use-of-an-2020/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does hormone change across the menstrual cycle affect how a woman's voice sounds? Randomised trial, 2020 # Does hormone change across the menstrual cycle affect how a woman's voice sounds? Yes. Hormone changes across the menstrual cycle affect the pitch and qualities of the voice. Oral contraceptive pills appear to stabilize these changes. Early or limited evidence 9 healthy women ## What they did 9 healthy women had their voice recorded while reading a passage at three different phases of the menstrual cycle (menstrual, follicular, and luteal) in two conditions: when using placebo and when using an oral contraceptive pill. Blood samples were collected to measure hormone levels. Researchers measured voice pitch and related features. ## What they found When women used placebo, voice pitch and related measures were significantly different between menstrual phases, with the menstrual phase showing the lowest pitch. When using oral contraceptive pills, these differences disappeared. ## What it means for you Hormones do affect voice pitch, which explains why some women notice their voice sounds different at different times of their cycle. Birth control pills appear to reduce these changes by maintaining steadier hormone levels. The study is very small (9 women) and did not include women with PMS or PMDD. 9 women in the study 3 menstrual cycle phases measured menstrual phase showed lowest voice pitch ## About the study Original title Fundamental Frequency Variations Across the Menstrual Cycle and the Use of an Oral Contraceptive Pill Authors Lã FMB, Polo N Journal Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR Year 2020 Study design Randomised trial What was tested Placebo versus oral contraceptive pill, measured across three phases of the menstrual cycle Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1044/2020_jslhr-19-00277](https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_jslhr-19-00277) Original abstract Purpose Concentrations of sex steroid hormones-estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone-have been associated with premenstrual and menstrual vocal symptoms. However, the extent to which these symptoms may be reflected on acoustical features of the voice is still debated. This study investigates variations in fundamental frequency ( f o ) and related parameters in connected speech across phases of the menstrual cycle and during the use of a combined oral contraceptive pill (OCP). Method Electrolaryngographic recordings were made, and blood samples were collected at three different phases of the menstrual cycle-menstrual, follicular, and luteal-for placebo and OCP use. These two conditions were blindly and randomly allocated in the study. Speaking f o (SFF), SFF standard deviation, SFF rate of change, SFF slope, maximum and minimum f o , and f o range were extracted for nine healthy females while reading a phrase from the Rainbow Passage. Concentrations of sex hormones were analyzed in serum. Nonparametric statistical tests were carried out to assess differences between phases and conditions. Results SFF, its standard deviation, and maximum f o were significantly different between phases of the menstrual cycle for placebo use only. Menstrual phase showed the lowest values. Maximum and minimum f o were significantly different between placebo and OCP use for menstrual and follicular phases, respectively. Conclusions Fluctuations in sex steroid hormones across the menstrual cycle alter f o in speech more than a particular hormonal concentration. OCP use seems to have a stabilizing effect on the voice relative to f o and related parameters in speech. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Cohort study, 2025 Are irregular menstrual cycles linked to lower thinking and memory skills in middle-aged women? Review, 2024 What are the most effective treatments for PMDD? Review, 2017 What causes PMDD and what are the best treatments? Review, 2015 What do we know about PMS and PMDD and how are they treated? Systematic review, 2014 Do estrogen and progesterone change how the brain processes emotions and decisions? Randomised trial, 2010 What treatments work for premenstrual syndrome? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗