Ep. 5: Your Mind on the Pill

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The birth control pill, as its name suggests, influences the body to prevent ovulation (and pregnancy). But swallowing hormones doesn't only affect what's happening in your nether-regions - it can also change what's happening in the mind. Hormonal contraceptives seem to have possible effects on memory, mood, and even who we are attracted to. But how consistent is the research, really? Spoiler alert: not very.

This week, Beth and Ava try to untangle the complicated web of research on psychology, hormones, neuroscience, and even some genetics. And Beth stops Ava from having an existential crisis on the meaning of the self.

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Academic Articles & Books

Cognition

2020 article on effects of the pill on stress: Sharma, R., Smith, S., Boukina, N., Dordari, A., Mistry, A., & Taylor, B. et al. (2020). Use of the birth control pill affects stress reactivity and brain structure and function. Hormones And Behavior, 124, 104783. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104783
Earlier studies on cortisol and the pill:
- Nielsen, S. E., Ahmed, I., & Cahill, L. (2014). Postlearning stress differentially affects memory for emotional gist and detail in naturally cycling women and women on hormonal contraceptives. Behavioral neuroscience, 128(4), 482.
- Nielsen, S. E., Segal, S. K., Worden, I. V., Yim, I. S., & Cahill, L. (2013). Hormonal contraception use alters stress responses and emotional memory. Biological psychology, 92(2), 257-266.
Estrogen, dopamine & genes, effects on working memory: Jacobs, E., & D'Esposito, M. (2011). Estrogen shapes dopamine-dependent cognitive processes: implications for women's health. Journal of Neuroscience, 31(14), 5286-5293.

Mood

Danish study linking hormonal birth control to depression: Skovlund, C. W., Mørch, L. S., Kessing, L. V., & Lidegaard, Ø. (2016). Association of hormonal contraception with depression. JAMA psychiatry, 73(11), 1154-1162.

No influence on depression: McKetta, S., & Keyes, K. M. (2019). Oral contraceptive use and depression among adolescents. Annals of epidemiology, 29, 46-51.

Pill & depression in adolescents: Anderl, Christine, Gu Li, and Frances S. Chen. "Oral contraceptive use in adolescence predicts lasting vulnerability to depression in adulthood." Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 61.2 (2020): 148-156.

Attraction:

Strip club study: Miller, G., Tybur, J. M., & Jordan, B. D. (2007). Ovulatory cycle effects on tip earnings by lap dancers: economic evidence for human estrus?☆. Evolution and human behavior, 28(6), 375-381.

Changing hormonal birth control in relationships: Russell, V. M., McNulty, J. K., Baker, L. R., & Meltzer, A. L. (2014). The association between discontinuing hormonal contraceptives and wives’ marital satisfaction depends on husbands’ facial attractiveness. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(48), 17081-17086.

Lighter Reading

Vice article on hypothalamus size
Live Science 'Clickbait' article
Globe and Mail article on the pill and cognition, featuring Laura Gravelsins
Blog post on memory and the pill (also Laura's work!) by Aanya Bahl