Hormonal coil dosage and depression risk

The approval of the first hormonal contraceptive (HC) in 1960 was a historical turning point for women, offering unprecedented autonomy over reproductive choices and greater control over the trajectories of their lives. As such, access to contraception is now recognised as an international human right (World Health Organisation, 2014).

An estimated 40% of reproductive-aged women use hormonal contraceptive (HCs) (Kristensen, 2021), but discontinuation is common due to perceived psychological side effects (Martell, 2023). Despite this, epidemiological research assessing the link between HCs and mood changes or depression has yielded mixed results. Some studies report a protective influence of HCs on mood in…