--- title: Are women with PMS history more likely to experience side-effects from birth control pills? description: Women with a history of PMS were 2.5 times more likely to stop the birth control pill due to side-effects, and those with anxiety or mood disorders were also url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/patterns-of-contraceptive-side-effect-variation-assessing-medical-and-lifestyle-2026/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Are women with PMS history more likely to experience side-effects from birth control pills? Case-control study, 2026 # Are women with PMS history more likely to experience side-effects from birth control pills? Women with a history of PMS were 2.5 times more likely to stop the birth control pill due to side-effects, and those with anxiety or mood disorders were also at higher risk. Mood disorders were the most common reported side-effect. Moderate study design 1133 UK contraceptive users (796 who stopped due to side-effects, 337 without side-effects) ## What they did A case-control study of 1133 people in the UK who used hormonal contraception in the past 10 years. Researchers compared those who stopped due to side-effects (796 people) with those who had no side-effects (337 people). ## What they found Having PMS symptoms before using contraception was associated with 2.5 times higher odds of stopping the combined oral pill and 2.3 times higher odds for the minipill. Pre-existing anxiety or mood disorders also increased the risk of stopping the pill due to side-effects. Hormonal IUD users with a history of PMS did not show this increased risk. ## What it means for you If you have a history of PMS or mood symptoms, you may be more likely to experience side-effects from hormonal birth control, especially mood-related ones. Extra counselling and support might help. The study only looked at UK users, so results may differ in other countries. 1133 Total participants 2.5 Times higher odds for combined oral pill with prior PMS 2.3 Times higher odds for minipill with prior PMS ## About the study Original title Patterns of contraceptive side-effect variation: Assessing medical and lifestyle factors associated with side-effects among those using hormonal contraception in the United Kingdom Authors Stevens R, Ochi T, Wojcik J et al. Journal European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology Year 2026 Study design Case-control study Participants 1,133 What was tested Hormonal contraceptive use (combined oral pill, minipill, hormonal IUD) Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2026.115125](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2026.115125) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)[Psychotherapy, counselling and education](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-psychotherapy/) 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 Review, 2024 What are the most effective treatments for PMDD? Review, 2025 Does hormonal birth control affect mood and depression? Review, 2019 Which contraceptive methods are safest for women with PMDD? Review, 2001 What health benefits does the oral contraceptive pill provide? Review, 2001 What medical problems can the levonorgestrel intrauterine device treat? Review, 1990 How common is PMS and what are the best ways to treat it? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗