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The effects of steroidal contraceptives on the well-being and sexuality of women: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-centre study of combined and progestogen-only methods

The effects of steroidal contraceptives on the well-being and sexuality of women: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-centre study of combined and progestogen-only methods
The effects of steroidal contraceptives on the well-being and sexuality of women: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-centre study of combined and progestogen-only methods
A placebo-controlled, double-blind study was carried out to assess the direct hormonal effects of combined and progestogen-only oral contraceptives on well-being and sexuality of women in two contrasting cultures. One-hundred-fifty women, who had been sterilised or whose partners had been vasectomised, were recruited from two centres—Manila, Philippines, and Edinburgh, Scotland. After one month pretreatment assessment, women were randomly assigned to one of three treatments (combined oral contraceptive (COC), progestogen-only pill (POP), or placebo; 50 within each treatment group, 25 per centre) and continued on treatment for four months. Assessment was by daily ratings, questionnaires and interviews.

The COC adversely affected sexuality in the Edinburgh women, with 12 of the 25 women in this group also reporting the side effect of reduced sexual interest. There were modest negative effects of the combined pill on mood, more noticeable in the Edinburgh women. The POP was associated with no adverse effects on sexuality and some improvement in well-being in both centres.

Possible explanations for the apparent lack of adverse effects in the Manila women are discussed. The negative effects reported may be less evident in women using the COC for contraceptive purposes but may lead to discontinuation in some women and warrant further investigation.
0010-7824
363-369
Graham, Cynthia A.
ac400331-f231-4449-a69b-ec9a477224c8
Ramos, Rebecca
53a4520b-a2b8-4973-87be-309f332c0452
Bancroft, John
2b95cc70-bb5a-482b-b6a1-e8535fccd837
Maglaya, Cesar
37bf9202-5dd8-4bc4-bc56-426b83d9c466
Farley, Timothy M.M.
410f7299-af86-45c5-8912-ccde8cd92901
Graham, Cynthia A.
ac400331-f231-4449-a69b-ec9a477224c8
Ramos, Rebecca
53a4520b-a2b8-4973-87be-309f332c0452
Bancroft, John
2b95cc70-bb5a-482b-b6a1-e8535fccd837
Maglaya, Cesar
37bf9202-5dd8-4bc4-bc56-426b83d9c466
Farley, Timothy M.M.
410f7299-af86-45c5-8912-ccde8cd92901

Graham, Cynthia A., Ramos, Rebecca, Bancroft, John, Maglaya, Cesar and Farley, Timothy M.M. (1995) The effects of steroidal contraceptives on the well-being and sexuality of women: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-centre study of combined and progestogen-only methods. Contraception, 52 (6), 363-369. (doi:10.1016/0010-7824(95)00226-X).

Record type: Article

Abstract

A placebo-controlled, double-blind study was carried out to assess the direct hormonal effects of combined and progestogen-only oral contraceptives on well-being and sexuality of women in two contrasting cultures. One-hundred-fifty women, who had been sterilised or whose partners had been vasectomised, were recruited from two centres—Manila, Philippines, and Edinburgh, Scotland. After one month pretreatment assessment, women were randomly assigned to one of three treatments (combined oral contraceptive (COC), progestogen-only pill (POP), or placebo; 50 within each treatment group, 25 per centre) and continued on treatment for four months. Assessment was by daily ratings, questionnaires and interviews.

The COC adversely affected sexuality in the Edinburgh women, with 12 of the 25 women in this group also reporting the side effect of reduced sexual interest. There were modest negative effects of the combined pill on mood, more noticeable in the Edinburgh women. The POP was associated with no adverse effects on sexuality and some improvement in well-being in both centres.

Possible explanations for the apparent lack of adverse effects in the Manila women are discussed. The negative effects reported may be less evident in women using the COC for contraceptive purposes but may lead to discontinuation in some women and warrant further investigation.

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More information

Published date: 1995
Organisations: Psychology

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 206933
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/206933
ISSN: 0010-7824
PURE UUID: e1f65faa-f679-4d51-95eb-127b984b83d3
ORCID for Cynthia A. Graham: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-7884-599X

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Date deposited: 17 Jan 2012 16:57
Last modified: 21 Mar 2024 02:47

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Contributors

Author: Rebecca Ramos
Author: John Bancroft
Author: Cesar Maglaya
Author: Timothy M.M. Farley

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