Thursday, 22 September 2011
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Birth Control Pills Can Alter How Women Remember Things
This has been a question that's always been on my mind: if birth control suppresses our female hormones, do we become a little more like... well, men?Okay, so maybe that's not a valid question, but a neurobiology study in University of California found that the way women remember things are altered to the way men remember things-- if the women are taking birth control. How did the study proceed?
Women (both on birth control, and not on birth control) and men of this study were shown a video of a car accident, and how the people got into the accident and how they were rushed to the hospital.
Then they asked the viewers to recall what had happened.
- Women on birth control and men recalled the series of events, without remembering much detail, but a good outline on what had happened.
- Women not on birth control, however, recalled more details, and the emotions of the event, like how the boy was terrified, or what color shirt the victim was wearing.
The study noted that birth control pills flatten out natural spikes in progesterone and estrogen-- keeping the levels low throughout the menstrual cycle. How can this be of help? It turns out that the spike and flow of hormones may be why women react differently, and may be the underlying cause of mental illnesses for women-- depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, which are all extremely "emotional in nature."
What do you think? Do you use birth control? Have you felt these changes?
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About the Author
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- From: StacyLee
- About Me: Currently a student studying pharmacy-- love to read about health and (try to) maintain healthy habits while being on campus! I'm the girl with the 1L water bottle in the side of my backpack and a coffe tumbler in the other. So maybe I'm counteracting some health benefits... but I'm trying my best!
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Comments (35)
Wow, this makes a lot of sense... I love and hate the fact that men and women are so different; and that it's all in a biological account.
I've been on the pill almost 4 years and I was never affected in that way. I remember details about everything. I can remember what I wore on almost every single date with my boyfriend the entire summer. I remember the stupidest details.
Not altering the beauty of sex is a good thing.
Oh yeah, I have heard that pills can cause mood swings. That's not good. :(
I've been on the pill for 18 months, I really don't buy this study at all.....
The birth control pill caused me to have a stroke, thus resulting in memory loss and other cognitive tragedies.
I have a bad time remembering things... I dont think its my birth control though ;)
@wyrdkismet@xanga - Really?.. I heard that they can help with mood swings :\ Maybe it depends on the kind or something...
Blah blah.
is this true
I don't believe it. I think it depends on the individual, not whether they're taking birth control or not.
not all men are the same and remember everything and view everything the same, therefore comparing women on birth control to men is a little bizarre; also considering not all women remember and view everything the same. I will say I'm definitely less emotional than I was before I started birth control, but nonetheless still emotional and still a woman!
I'm not great at recalling details, and I never have been. My husband, on the other hand, can remember specific outfits that I wore when we dated more than 10 years ago. Yes, I am on birth control, and not having a kid right now is so worth this potential side effect.
I think I'm still suffering from the affects a year or two later lol
I have always thought that taking hormones when not absolutely necessary is not a good idea.
(I say this knowing birth control is an absolute necessity for some women)
Ummm.. I'm not so sure that birth control suppresses female hormones. They contain hormones that suppress ovulation by tricking our bodies into thinking we're pregnant, but they don't keep our bodies from producing natural hormones. In some cases, specific synthetic progesterone and estrogen are used to lower testosterone levels in women with PCOS and other endocrine disorders, but that's not the same thing as suppressing our natural hormones. Source: Atlas of Contraception.
I have a HORRIBLE memory, but that's also a factor of ADHD too. maybe my bc joined forces with it.... haha
I'm actually very emotional, with or without being on birth control, although while not taking any, the mood swings are almost outbursts of repressed ranges... but in terms of memory; it doesn't really effect me, since i was never very good with details to begin with (before bcp) so I'm used to writing everything down, and keeping myself in check.
Ugh I hate birth control. They seriously mess with your mood/emotions, memory and health in general. Yet.... I do take the pills! Just wish they had fewer side effects.
this sounds like bullshit to me. first of all if you read the article it says women on the pill recall the big picture and naturally cycling women recall details and have trouble with the over all narrative.
no where does it says that women who are naturally cycling remembered the more emotional aspects of the story, or that women on the pill didn't remember the emotions.
Also, men get depression and anxiety and PTSD, and due to under reporting may even develop these issues at rates similar to women, so hormones cannot explain it all.
Alcoholism is more prevalent in men than in women, are we going to claim that's not an emotional issue?
Overall it sounds way too stereotypical to be totally true
Interesting.
@DncngINthedark@xanga - If your birth control has all those side effects, you should change it. When I started taking the pill I went nuts, I was an emotional wreck, had headaches and so on. About half a year in I went to my doctor and got a new kind of pill and voila! I'm all better. Some brands just don't suit everyone.
I have been on the pill for 3 months now and my memory has been increasingly and noticeably shortened. I have trouble remembering some things, like today my friend said something and I said No way. and my friend was like Bri, we just talked about this for an hour earlier on. don't you remember? and I was like...... No:/ haa.
@emptyabyss@xanga - Very true, I meant I have had those throughout the years of being on it, but like you asked to try a different one, and also voila! :)
All of my depression, mood swings, etc were before I went on birth control. I am suspect of this study.