A new study by scientists from Aarhus University (USA) shows that birth control pills negatively affect women’s response to stress. The results of the study were published in the journal. ScienceDirect.
The authors examined the stress response of 131 young women using a blood test for levels of the stress hormone ACTH. It changes much faster than cortisol. This allows you to observe and analyze rapid changes in a person’s response to stress. All participants were catheterized at the start of the experiment to avoid multiple punctures. After taking a blood sample, they participated in one of six different group activities, such as playing board games, getting to know each other in group class, singing together, or attending a church service.
One study found that 15 minutes of social activity after taking a blood sample lowered stress hormone levels in women who weren’t taking birth control pills. In contrast, women who take birth control pills do not experience any reduction in hormone levels.
“We hypothesize that birth control pills can suppress the body’s own production of progesterone. Progesterone is broken down into the hormone allopregnanolone, which is involved in a wide variety of calming effects and can affect the stress response,” says the authors.
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