WOMEN who use hormonal contraceptives show stronger emotional reactions and retain fewer details from negative events after employing emotion regulation strategies, according to a new study. These findings suggest that hormonal birth control may subtly influence both emotional responses and memory in ways relevant to mental health.
Hormonal birth control is relied on by millions of women, not only for family planning but also to manage a range of medical conditions, such as endometriosis and irregular periods. Despite its widespread use, questions remain about the full scope of its effects, especially regarding mood, memory and emotional resilience. Previous studies have touched on these subjects, but the impact of contraceptives on how women process and recall emotional experiences has been largely unexplored.
Researchers from Rice University investigated emotion regulation and memory in a cohort of 179 women, including 87 taking hormonal contraceptives and 92 who were naturally cycling. Participants were asked to view positive, negative and neutral images and to use different strategies for emotion regulation, such as distancing and reinterpretation, or immersion. A surprise memory test followed the image session. Results revealed that contraceptive users experienced stronger emotional responses to the images, and when they used distancing or reinterpretation strategies, they remembered fewer specific details about negative scenes, despite retaining the overall event. This pattern was not observed in naturally cycling women. Using immersion improved memory for positive images in both groups. Notably, the ability to forget details of negative events may help contraceptive users avoid dwelling on unpleasant experiences, potentially offering psychological protection.
Future studies will expand on these findings by examining effects across menstrual phases and comparing various forms of hormonal contraception. Understanding these subtleties could help women make more informed choices about their reproductive and mental health.
Reference
Brandao BM et al. Emotion regulation strategies differentially impact memory in hormonal contraceptive users. Hormones and Behavior. 2025;DOI:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105805.
