Scientists discover an unexpected side-effect of the contraceptive pill

The pill is often the subject of controversy. A study published in 2019 revealed that the pill impairs women's ability to interpret the emotions behind certain complex facial expressions. This effect could have an impact on their ability to form relationships.

A little-known psychological impact

While the metabolic effects of the pill are increasingly well known, its psychological impact remains unclear. The study's lead author Alexander Lischke explained:

More than 100 million women worldwide use oral contraceptives, but surprisingly little is known about their impact on emotions, cognition, and behaviour.

However, coincidental findings suggest that oral contraceptives impair the ability to recognise the emotional expressions of others, which could affect how their users initiate and maintain relationships.

Dr Lischke and his team thus decided to investigate by administering an emotion identification test to women taking the pill.

The difference in complex emotions

Dr Lischke went on to say:

If oral contraceptives caused a real deterioration in women's ability to recognise emotions, we would probably have noticed it in our daily lives with our partners.

This is why the tests focused on the recognition of complex emotions.

While both groups [pill and control groups] were able to recognise simple emotions, pill users were less likely to correctly identify complicated expressions.

The effects of the pill are thus subtle, but notable, with 10% less recognition among its users. This difficulty could be linked to the pill’s effects on oestrogen and progesterone levels. The researchers stress the importance of conducting further studies to confirm and better understand these results.