(Formerly known as Central Clinical School)
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| Progestin based hormonal contraceptive pills can tip vulnerable women into depression, review shows |
by Anne Crawford
For some time, Monash Central Clinical School psychiatrist Professor Jayashri Kulkarni has treated women telling her they had developed depression since being prescribed certain oral contraception or that their existing depression had become out of control.
Since the 1960s, “the pill” has been a popular choice of contraception for many women around the world. On February 1 1961, Australia became the second country in the world to enable access to the pill, thereby allowing women to have control over their fertility and separate sexual activity from reproduction, a major revolution.
Today, the pill is the most popular choice of contraception for Australian women.
The early pills caused many physical side effects such as nausea, vomiting and increased rates of blood clots – which were significant and concerning.
While newer generations of the pill have generally been improved in terms of physical side effects and safety overall, a neglected area of consideration is the impact of the pill on mood.
Read the complete original article published 9 June 2022 in The Conversation
Volunteers required for a new study examining the impact of the Pill on emotions, learning and memory - If you are a female over 18 taking the Oral Contraceptive Pill, we'd love your help! Participation involves two brief interviews over two weeks, including a computer-based memory task, with a total time commitment of two hours. Participants will be entered into a draw to win movie passes, chocolate hampers and more.
