Contraceptive Pills Are Linked To Depression - What Parents of Teenage Girls Need to Know
31October

Contraceptive Pills Are Linked To Depression - What Parents of Teenage Girls Need to Know

Written by Cristo Rogers, Posted on

Scientists Link The Pill to Depression and Doctors Can No Longer Ignore it 

The University of Copenhagen conducted a nationwide study and found a potential linkage between pharmaceutical contraceptives and depression in young women. The study included one million Danish women between the ages of 15 and 34 making the study the largest of its kind.

The Danish study's researchers found that women who took the birth combined oral contraceptive were 23% more likely to develop depression, while those who took progestin-only pills (otherwise known as, mini-pills) were 34% more likely to develop depression. The research team's findings then discovered that teenage girls who took the pill were as high as 80% more likely to develop depression, while the females who took the mini-pill were twice as likely than those who took the combination of the two. The research team additionally learned that women who took the alternative to birth control pills - IUS/coil, patch or ring - were at a much greater risk of developing depression than either group taking the pill/mini-pill.

The University of Copenhagen's findings is disturbing when given that the significant number of women affected in the study, were in fact, just a small representation of a much larger demographic. Currently, there are millions of young women throughout the globe are presently taking a daily regimen of pills that could cause severe, psychological illness. Not to mention, these unaware teenage girls and young women are encouraged to take these pills by their family physician. 

So, should parents put their daughter on a contraceptive?

Putting your child on a contraceptive is risky to do and not to do. It is up to the parents to decide whether or not their child is psychologically suited to withstand the potential dangers of taking birth control. However, there are new advances in contraceptives that may be an option for parents to consider.

Advances in Birth Control May Be a Good Alternative for Teens 

In recent years, there have been newly developed advances in birth control. One of these advances is known as long-acting reversible contraceptives ( LARCs). The encouraging news is that LARCs eliminate the need to take a pill every day and, perhaps more encouragingly, LARCs typically come with less severe side effects than those of the pill. This suggests that LARCs may be the best option for parents who are wary of the possible depressive side effects that a traditional birth control may have on their child.

For further reading, click the link below: 

A newly published study from the University of Copenhagen has confirmed a link between hormonal contraceptives and depression. The largest of its kind, with one million Danish women between the ages of 15 and 34 tracked for a total of 13 years, it’s the kind of study that women such as me, who have experienced the side-effects of birth control-induced depression first hand, have been waiting for.
Via https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/oct/03/pill-linked-depression-doctors-hormonal-contraceptives