ArticleWomen's health (London, England)
Expectations versus reality: Two cross-sectional studies on expected and experienced discontinuation symptoms in current and former contraceptive pill users.
Article in Women's health (London, England). The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Bridging the knowledge gap: a feminist lens on the post-birth control syndrome and media narratives.Frontiers in global women's health · 2025Article
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Abstract
backgroundDiscontinuation of the contraceptive pill is common, but little research has explored women's personal experiences with discontinuation symptoms and associated psychological factors.
objectivesThese studies provide initial cross-sectional data on symptoms associated with discontinuation of the contraceptive pill, focusing on both expected symptoms in current users and experienced symptoms in former users. We examined how psychological factors (e.g., beliefs about medicine, trait anxiety) relate to these symptoms.
designTwo parallel online questionnaires were administered: One with current and another with former contraceptive pill users (
methodsWe analyzed expected discontinuation symptoms in current users and experienced symptoms in former users. Multiple linear regressions assessed the relationships between psychological factors (beliefs about and sensitivity to medicine, trait anxiety, reason for usage, time since discontinuation) and discontinuation symptoms.
resultsIn current users, expected symptoms were associated with concerns about (
conclusionsThese studies provide the first data on contraceptive pill discontinuation symptoms, showing that current users expect them, and former users experienced them. Psychological factors (e.g., trait anxiety) were linked to expected symptoms, suggesting nocebo-like mechanisms. Future research integrating nocebo theory (e.g., addressing negative expectations directly) could help empower women to make informed choices when discontinuing the contraceptive pill.
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