Studies find shocking increase in risk of violent death in ever-users of hormonal birth control
By Amanda Jowsey
In 2021, a review published in Behavioral Endocrinology, a section of Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, brought light to concerning risks for ever-users of hormonal contraceptives.
The article, written by Angela Lanfranchi, breast cancer surgeon and co-founder of The Breast Cancer Prevention Institute, explores two cohort studies of British and American women. The studies found a statistically significant increase in the “risk of violent death in ever-users of hormonal contraceptives.”
An overall increased long-term rate of death wasn’t noted, only the substantially increased risk of violent and accidental deaths specifically — the potential causes of which the study’s authors could not explain.
The increased risk of violent death among ever-users of hormonal contraceptives (HC) was 92% — 116% if the HC was used longer than eight years.
Even more alarming, one-third of the deaths were the result of suicide.
This information prompted a review from the National Institutes of Health in 2021 to examine possible causes of this link between HC and violent death.
The NIH review cites evidence that HC alters a woman’s biological preference for men, leading to low sexual responsivity toward their long-term partner, more relationship problems, even issues conceiving or the increased risk of having unhealthy children.
“This can have a real impact on the quality of spousal relationships… Therefore, it is not unreasonable to suspect that such effects could also influence rates of intimate partner violence,” NIH said.
The long-term use of HC is related to several factors “that have the potential to influence relationships,” which can negatively impact partners, increase the risk of suicide, and increase accidental deaths through substance abuse (NIH).
Comprehensive research on the physiological and psychological dangers of taking synthetic birth control spans decades. However, and is by no means limited to just these studies.
HC has been shown to create or worsen symptoms of mental illness such as PTSD, borderline personality disorder and depression through its potential to modify brain structure and function.
The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health published a study showing that oral contraceptive use in adolescence “predicts lasting vulnerability to depression in adulthood… and the age when hormonal contraception is first started impacts the likelihood of major depressive disorder.”
“Women who started hormonal contraception while still adolescents had long-term increase in MDD regardless of current use. It is postulated that there are changes that occur which are more lasting if the hormonal contraception is used during the final brain maturation before adulthood,” according to ACAMH.
“There is a great need for further research concerning brain function and structure relating to exposure to hormonal contraceptives, especially since these drugs are often given to young women whose brains are not fully matured. Using physician screening and patient education, the incidence of violent death can potentially be mitigated,” according to NIH.
In the United States today, roughly 12 million women currently use hormonal contraceptives, including the 6.4 million women who take oral contraceptives (estrogen-progestin combination drugs).
NIH advises: “All women taking hormonal contraceptives should be apprised of all the critical risks, including the potential for effects shown to be associated with an increased risk of violent death, to make an informed choice.”