In or Out of Control: Hormonal Contraception and Mental Health
Chelsea Cheatham1, LaQuita Hatcher, MS2
1Mississippi INBRE Service Scholar, Alcorn State University, Lorman, MS
2My Brother’s Keeper, Inc., Center for Community Based Programs, Ridgeland, MS
Women across the United States have complained about a decrease in mental stability after using hormonal birth control. From sterilization by way of female tubal ligation or occlusion to hormonal implants such as intrauterine devices to the most common and least invasive measures known informally as “the pill”, “the patch”, “the shot”, and “the ring”, women have used birth control to control more than just pregnancy for years. Birth control has been prescribed as a treatment for complicated cycles, acne prevention, endometriosis, Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI), and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) amongst many other conditions. Though birth controls have successfully worked to control and limit unintended pregnancies and other complications and disorders, a very common side effect has been reported after usage of all types of hormonal birth controls -- an increase in anxiety and depression. As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2018, 65.9% of reproductive aged women use some type of birth control. Of those women, over 22% use hormonal contraceptives, and many have reported some sort of decline in mental stability. Data from various scholarly articles and scientific sources were collected, analyzed, and included providing fact that highlighted a correlation between declines in mental stability in women that use hormonal birth control. This research supports the inference that hormonal birth controls result in a higher risk of mental instability such as depression and anxiety.