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      Sexual function and combined oral contraceptives: a randomised, placebo-controlled trial

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          Abstract

          Objective

          The effect of combined oral contraceptives (COCs) on female sexuality has long been a matter of discussion, but placebo-controlled studies are lacking. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate if an oestradiol-containing COC influences sexual function.

          Design

          Investigator-initiated, randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial where 202 healthy women were randomised to a combined oral contraceptive (1.5 mg oestradiol and 2.5 mg nomegestrol acetate) or placebo for three treatment cycles.

          Methods

          Sexual function at baseline and during the last week of the final treatment cycle was evaluated by the McCoy Female Sexuality Questionnaire. Serum and hair testosterone levels were assessed at the same time points.

          Results

          Compared to placebo, COC use was associated with a small decrease in sexual interest (COC median change score: −2.0; interquartile range (IQR): −5.0 to 0.5 vs placebo: −1.0; IQR: −3.0 to 2.0, P = 0.019), which remained following adjustment for change in self-rated depressive symptoms ( B = −0.80 ± 0.30, Wald = 7.08, P = 0.008). However, the proportion of women who reported a clinically relevant deterioration in sexual interest did not differ between COC or placebo users (COC 18 (22.2%) vs placebo 16 (17.8%), P = 0.47). Change in other measured aspects of sexual function as well as total score of sexual function did not differ between the two treatments.

          Conclusions

          This study suggests that use of oestradiol-based COCs is associated with reduced sexual interest. However, the changes are minute, and probably not of clinical relevance.

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          Most cited references17

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          Clinical applications of cortisol measurements in hair.

          Cortisol measurements in blood, saliva and urine are frequently used to examine the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in clinical practice and in research. However, cortisol levels are subject to variations due to acute stress, the diurnal rhythm and pulsatile secretion. Cortisol measurements in body fluids are not always a reflection of long-term cortisol exposure. The analysis of cortisol in scalp hair is a relatively novel method to measure cumulative cortisol exposure over months up to years. Over the past years, hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) have been examined in association with a large number of somatic and mental health conditions. HCC can be used to evaluate disturbances of the HPA axis, including Cushing's syndrome, and to evaluate hydrocortisone treatment. Using HCC, retrospective timelines of cortisol exposure can be created which can be of value in diagnosing cyclic hypercortisolism. HCC have also been shown to increase with psychological stressors, including major life events, as well as physical stressors, such as endurance exercise and shift work. Initial studies show that HCC may be increased in depression, but decreased in general anxiety disorder. In posttraumatic stress disorder, changes in HCC seem to be dependent on the type of traumatic experience and the time since traumatization. Increased hair cortisol is consistently linked to obesity, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Potentially, HCC could form a future marker for cardiovascular risk stratification, as well as serve as a treatment target.
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            The effects of steroidal contraceptives on the well-being and sexuality of women: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-centre study of combined and progestogen-only methods.

            A placebo-controlled, double-blind study was carried out to assess the direct hormonal effects of combined and progestogen-only oral contraceptives on well-being and sexuality of women in two contrasting cultures. One-hundred-fifty women, who had been sterilised or whose partners had been vasectomised, were recruited from two centres-Manila, Philippines, and Edinburgh, Scotland. After one month pretreatment assessment, women were randomly assigned to one of three treatments (combined oral contraceptive (COC), progestogen-only pill (POP), or placebo; 50 within each treatment group, 25 per centre) and continued on treatment for four months. Assessment was by daily ratings, questionnaires and interviews. The COC adversely affected sexuality in the Edinburgh women, with 12 of the 25 women in this group also reporting the side effect of reduced sexual interest. There were modest negative effects of the combined pill on mood, more noticeable in the Edinburgh women. The POP was associated with no adverse effects on sexuality and some improvement in well-being in both centres. Possible explanations for the apparent lack of adverse effects in the Manila women are discussed. The negative effects reported may be less evident in women using the COC for contraceptive purposes but may lead to discontinuation in some women and warrant further investigation.
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              The influence of combined oral contraceptives on female sexual desire: a systematic review.

              To determine the relationship between the use of combined oral contraceptives (COCs) and sexual desire based on a systematic review of the literature. MEDLINE Complete, Google Scholar and the Cochrane Library were searched for articles published between 1975 and 2011, reporting the effects of oral contraceptives on sexual desire. Reports fully meeting all the predefined criteria were analysed and included in a final reference list. In addition, a review of the reference list of selected articles was carried out. We evaluated 36 studies (1978-2011; 13,673 women). Of the COC users (n = 8,422), 85% reported an increase (n = 1,826) or no change (n = 5,358) in libido and 15% reported a decrease (n = 1,238). We found no significant difference in sexual desire in the case of COCs with 20-35 μg ethinylestradiol; libido decreased only with pills containing 15 μg ethinylestradiol. The majority of COC users report no significant change in libido although in most studies a decline in plasma levels of free testosterone and an increase in those of sex hormone binding globulin were observed.
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Endocr Connect
                Endocr Connect
                EC
                Endocrine Connections
                Bioscientifica Ltd (Bristol )
                2049-3614
                November 2018
                26 September 2018
                : 7
                : 11
                : 1208-1216
                Affiliations
                [1 ]Department of Women’s and Children’s Health Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
                [2 ]Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
                [3 ]Clinical Chemistry Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
                [4 ]Department of Women’s and Children’s Health Karolinska Institutet, and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
                [5 ]Department of Clinical Science Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
                [6 ]Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
                [7 ]Department of Clinical Science and Education Karolinska Institutet Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
                [8 ]Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
                Author notes
                Correspondence should be addressed to C Lundin: cecilia.lundin@ 123456kbh.uu.se

                *(C Lundin and A Malmborg contributed equally to this work)

                Article
                EC180384
                10.1530/EC-18-0384
                6215801
                30352399
                df15c05d-bc4e-42e2-a2a9-a84f1eda5702
                © 2018 The authors

                This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

                History
                : 13 September 2018
                : 26 September 2018
                Categories
                Research

                combined oral contraceptive,mccoy female sexuality questionnaire,placebo,randomised clinical trial,sexual function,sexual interest,testosterone

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