Cohort study, 2003
Do birth control pills change how women experience premenstrual and menstrual symptoms?
Birth control pills do not eliminate the cyclical pattern of premenstrual and menstrual symptoms that healthy women naturally experience. Different pill types produce similar patterns, though pill users reported less fatigue than non-users.
What they did
119 healthy women tracked their daily symptoms for at least 2 complete menstrual cycles. They were either taking monophasic birth control (same hormone dose daily), triphasic birth control (changing hormone doses), or using non-hormonal contraception.
What they found
All three groups showed significant cyclical changes in symptoms including abdominal fullness, breast fullness, and general premenstrual-like symptoms. Symptoms peaked during the late premenstrual and menstrual phases. Women not using birth control reported more fatigue than pill users. Non-pill users experienced less depression early in their cycle but a sharp rise from early premenstrual through menstrual phase. Monophasic and triphasic pills produced similar symptom patterns.
What it means for you
Birth control pills do not prevent the normal hormonal-driven cyclic changes that cause premenstrual symptoms in healthy women. Pills may reduce some symptoms like fatigue, but other symptoms persist. The type of pill makes little clinically meaningful difference for most healthy women.
119
women studied
2
or more menstrual cycles tracked
3
contraception types compared
About the study
- Original title
- Oral contraception and cyclic changes in premenstrual and menstrual experiences
- Authors
- Abraham S, Luscombe G, Soo I
- Journal
- Journal of psychosomatic obstetrics and gynaecology
- Year
- 2003
- Study design
- Cohort study
- What was tested
- Comparison of monophasic pills, triphasic pills, and non-hormonal contraception
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.3109/01674820309039672
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