- Association of Hormonal Contraception with Stress Reactivity in Women

Studies on stress reactivity have shown that oral contraceptives (OCs) can alter psychophysiological and hormonal responses to acute stress. For other hormonal contraceptives, only little is known about their psychological and neural effects. Specifically, the association of stress reactivity with the hormonal intra-uterine device (LNG-IUD) has been investigated only once, with authors reporting a potentiated cortisol reactivity in LNG-IUD users and a blunted cortisol reactivity in OC users compared to naturally cycling (NC) women. To investigate the effects of HC on stress reactivity, we applied the Maastricht Acute Stress Test, including a stressful and a non-stressful (placebo) condition, to LNG-IUD (n=26) or OC (n=27) users and NC women (n=25), resulting in a mixed within-between-subject design. To cover the multiple facets of stress, we measured hormonal (salivary cortisol), psychophysiological (electrodermal activity (EDA), heart rate (HR)) and subjective stress reactivity. A cortisol increase following stress induction is seen in LNG-IUD and NC groups, while no significant changes in cortisol due to the stress or placebo condition occurred in OC users. Similarly, subjective ratings showed group differences, with higher negative affect in LNG-IUD users compared to NC women and OC users, while no group differences were seen in psychophysiological responses. The magnitude of this project's impact on society cannot be overstated, as it sheds light on the underlying mechanisms governing hormonal activity. As a result, hormonal contraception users worldwide will be better equipped to make informed decisions about their contraceptive method.