Mon Jun 26, 2023 – 5:05 pm EDT
(LifeSiteNews) — A new study shows a link between oral contraceptives and higher rates of depression, especially among women who began taking the drugs as teenagers.
Recently released data from the United Kingdom specifically found that depression rates were greater in the first two years of oral contraceptive use and that girls who took the drugs before or at age 20 faced 130% higher depression rates than their peers who didn’t use them.
“We observed that the first 2 years of OC [oral contraceptive] use were associated with a higher rate of depression compared to never users,” researchers concluded. “Although the risk was not as pronounced beyond the first 2 years, ever OC use was still associated with an increased lifetime risk of depression.”
“Additionally, OC use during adolescence might increase the risk of depression later in life. Our results are consistent with a causal relationship between OC use and depression, as supported by the sibling analysis.”
Researchers noted that, “to validate causality, we examined familial confounding in 7,354 sibling pairs,” which strengthened and confirmed the results. They also warned that “physicians and patients should be aware of
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