Ladies, you now have another excuse for fights with your partner.
The birth control pill can affect how you process emotions, according to a new study titled “Affective responsiveness is influenced by intake of oral contraceptives.”
We already know that female contraception can contribute to a hormone-fueled roller-coaster ride of emotions. But this research claims to be the first to show that it may also numb users’ feelings.
More specifically: it found that women taking the daily form of contraception “may be less emotionally in tune and find it more difficult to be empathetic to others, especially during their pill-free days.”
“This might ultimately have negative consequences for relationship quality… by leading to more conflict,” Sina Radke, a neuroscientist at Germany’s Aachen University, told Her.ie.
The findings, based on 73 women (18 of whom didn’t take the pill, 30 who did, and 25 who were on their week off), were recently published in the European Neuropsychopharmacology journal.
It warned of a need for more research to fully understand how oral contraceptive pills affect our brain and emotions.
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California scientists discovered last year, as RT reported: “contraceptive pills may change the structure of their users’ brains, eventually leading to anxiety and depression.”
That research added to an “array of previously known side effects, including headaches, mood swings, nausea, blood clots, breast, liver and cervical cancer.”
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The pill isn’t the only form of contraception to come with risks (including unwanted pregnancies).
READ MORE: Law firm says 40 women pregnant in wake of birth control pill recall
Just a couple months ago, a Canada-wide class-action lawsuit was launched against the maker of Essure, a popular form of permanent birth control.
Women claimed the spring-like device that’s implanted in the fallopian tubes led to chronic pain. To remove the device, many reportedly had to undergo hysterectomies.
READ MORE: Women join lawsuit against Essure IUD as Health Canada reviews safety of birth control implant
A safety review by Health Canada in May forced maker Bayer Inc. to update its packaging with a warning and to include a patient information sheet and checklist in the package.
The company said in a statement that “no form of birth control is without risk and appropriate for every woman.
“It is imperative that women consult with their healthcare professionals before making any contraceptive choice, to fully understand both the risks and determine the best option to meet their needs.”
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