---
title: What side effects do women experience from birth control pills?
description: Over half reported no change. Most women who did notice a change said it was negative. Only pelvic pain improved with birth control use.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/university-students-subjective-experiences-of-oral-contraceptive-use-1995/
---

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- What side effects do women experience from birth control pills?

Survey study, 1995

# What side effects do women experience from birth control pills?

Over half reported no change. Most women who did notice a change said it was negative. Only pelvic pain improved with birth control use.

 Early or limited evidence

145 female university students, current and former birth control pill users

## What they did

145 female university students (both current and former birth control pill users) filled out a questionnaire about how the pills affected their physical and mental well-being.

## What they found

Over half reported no effect. Of those who noticed a change, the vast majority said it was negative. Pelvic pain was the only symptom that women reported improved with birth control use.

## What it means for you

Many women experience unwanted side effects from birth control pills. This study only included current and former users, so it misses women who stopped taking pills due to side effects.

145

women surveyed

over half

reported no effect

## About the study

Original title University students' subjective experiences of oral contraceptive use Authors Condon JT, Need JA, Fitzsimmons D et al. Journal Journal of psychosomatic obstetrics and gynaecology Year 1995 Study design Survey study Read the paper [doi.org/10.3109/01674829509025655](https://doi.org/10.3109/01674829509025655)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)

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.

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