The following comes from a May 2 Science World Report article by Michael Finn:

Research shows that contraception is likely to modify the function and structure of an adult woman’s brain.

28 young females were compared before and after the three months of a regular intake of contraceptives, with another 28 normally cycling women of the same age. The objective of this research was to examine the within-person neural change in females who are using contraceptives, Science Direct reported.

The comparison of the two groups of women indicated a lowered gray matter volume in the women’s left amygdala, anterior parahippocampal gyrus who are using contraceptives, compared to those in the control group. This region’s resting-state functional connectivity with the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was altered from positive to a negative connectivity after the female subjects’ intake of contraceptives, in contrast to the outcome of those in the control group.

The data that were collected in this research study has led to the findings that offer the first insights into the effects of hormonal contraceptives on the female brain.

The brain regions that are affected could be associated with the woman’s psychological well-being, hence, emphasizing the significance of and the need for future research on the contraceptive-induced brain changes.