Posted on 03/03/2015 7:21:24 AM PST by wagglebee
March 2, 2015 (LifeSiteNews.com) — An article in the Frontiers journal of medicine is sounding the alarm about the possible effects of hormonal contraception on the human brain, suggesting that the effects may be much more profound than previously thought and calling on the scientific community to devote more research to the topic.
“Hormonal contraceptives are on the market for more than 50 years and used by 100 million women worldwide,” wrote Belinda A. Pletzer and Hubert H. Kerschbaum, a pair of Austrian neuropsychologists from the Paris-Lodron-University Salzburg. “However, while endogenous steroids have been convincingly associated with change in brain structure, function and cognitive performance, the effects of synthetic steroids contained in hormonal contraceptives on brain and cognition have barely been investigated.”
Based on what little scientific data exists tracking behavioral and neurological changes in users of hormonal contraceptives, the authors asserted that “synthetic steroids may contribute to masculinizing as well as feminizing effects on brain and behavior.”
“We conclude that there is a strong need for more systematic studies, especially on brain structural, functional and cognitive changes due to hormonal contraceptive use,” wrote Pletzer and Kerschbaum.
“Changes in brain structure and chemistry cause changes in cognition, emotion and personality and consequently in observable behaviors,” the pair continued. “If a majority of women use hormonal contraception, such behavioral changes could cause a shift in society dynamics. Since the pill is the major tool for population control, it is time to find out what it does to our brain.”
Pletzer and Kerschbaum called hormonal contraception a “global experiment” and noted that while the intake of steroids and hormones by athletes is considered “doping” and condemned by society, the same behavior by women and girls who wish to reduce the risk of pregnancy is not only tolerated but encouraged, and from increasingly younger ages, despite the lack of scientific data regarding the safety of such an approach.
“Adolescent girls start taking hormonal contraceptives earlier and earlier, often shortly after onset of puberty,” the duo wrote. “However, the majority of research on steroid actions in the brain focuses on post-menopausal hormone replacement therapy.”
Of particular concern to Pletzer and Kershbaum was the fact that the majority of neurological studies do not take into account whether female subjects are on hormonal birth control.
“Traditionally, medical as well as psychological research focused on male participants, because hormone fluctuations throughout the menstrual cycle were suspected to affect the results—rightly, as it turned out,” they wrote. “Nowadays, numerous women participate in scientific studies. However, while participants on medication are excluded, studies hardly control for the use of hormonal contraception.”
Upon reviewing available data regarding the cognitive impact of hormonal contraceptives, the scientists found evidence that the drugs fundamentally alter the way women process and react to information. Citing a handful of studies showing differences in contraceptive users’ verbal communication, memories, emotional recall, and even choice of mates, they concluded that it is possible that the drugs “cause a structural re-organization of the brain.” They also noted that some studies have linked hormonal contraception to chemically based mood disorders like depression, anxiety, fatigue, neurotic symptoms, compulsion and anger.
In light of the seriousness of the evidence shown by a relatively limited amount of data, Pletzer and Kershbaum called for more thorough investigation of the effects of hormonal contraceptives on girls and women, and for medical researchers in all fields to be sure to account for this common variable.
“First and foremost, we conclude that there is a strong demand for additional studies on how hormonal contraceptives affect the brain from the molecular to the behavioral level,” the authors wrote. “Thus, future studies aiming to investigate ‘normal’ brain functioning, should control for the use of hormonal contraceptives among their participants.”
“As the number of women using oral contraceptives constantly increases, while the age of first contraceptive use constantly decreases,” the authors concluded, “the associated changes in personality and social behavior imply significant consequences for society.”
And they WILL NOT be investigated because population control and promiscuity matter far more to the left than the effects of steroids.
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The voting record of women in the USA is all the evidence I need to support their claims.
yup ... whatchU sed
After years of field research by yours truly - Yes!
This could explain a lot about the feminist movement and Lesbianism.
So what are the effects — and the evidence of same?
Another effect is that huge amounts of hormones get excreted into the water supply, where our water treatment technology apparently does a very poor job of dealing with them.
The long-term effects this has on others, including animals, men, and women not taking the pill, is a great unknown.
Fem-planet.
The long term effects of steroids are well documented.
The long-term effects this has on others, including animals, men, and women not taking the pill, is a great unknown.
What we DO know is that there are medical conditions that are pretty widespread today that barely existed a half century ago.
I was born in 1967 and when I was growing up EVERY kid I knew ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on plain white bread and washed it down with whole milk. There may have been a few kids that had peanut allergies or were lactose intolerant, but nothing on the level it is today and I had never even heard of gluten allergies until I was an adult.
I know there are a lot of theories that vaccines have played a role in this, but the possibility that the Pill also plays a role cannot be ignored.
It's also interesting to me that the rate of chocolate allergies do not seem to have changed any over the years while allergies to peanuts, milk and gluten have skyrocketed. I did know kids growing up who were allergic to chocolate and I come across people with chocolate allergies today, but I certainly don't see warnings about chocolate and children are allowed to bring it to school. Interestingly enough, chocolate contains natural toxins that non-allergic people can process in moderation; perhaps these toxins somehow counteract whatever agents are responsible for the increase in other forms of food allergies.
"while endogenous steroids have been convincingly associated with change in brain structure, function and cognitive performance, the effects of synthetic steroids contained in hormonal contraceptives on brain and cognition have barely been investigated.”
The estrogen in our water supply could explain the current pussified generation of young men.
It sounds like an interesting line of research.
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