Musk’s statements have caused major reactions on both sides of the debate.
Elon Musk talks about hormonal contraception on X. Photo: JONATHAN ERNST / REUTERS / NTB
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Published: 24/02/2024 13:54
The short version
- Elon Musk believes that hormonal contraception causes negative side effects such as weight gain, depression, and an increased risk of suicide.
The summary is created with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) and quality assured by Aftenposten’s journalists.
Short version is for subscribers only
– Hormonal contraception makes you fat, doubles the risk of depression and triples the risk of suicide, Musk wrote on X.
The post has been seen by over 40 million. In the comments, the debate about women’s health flared up.
Musk also claims that there is scientific consensus on the claims, but that very few people know about it.
He refers to an article in the newspaper Time. There is an increased risk of suicide and contraception linked together. He also links to one studie fra American Journal of Psychiatry. It points out that hormonal contraception doubles the risk of suicide attempts, and triples the risk of suicide.
Fact
What is hormonal contraception?
Hormonal contraception is a group of drugs that prevent unwanted pregnancy by injecting the hormones progestin and estrogen into the body.
There are different types of hormonal prevation:
- Birth control pills: Combination pills with both estrogen and progestogen (birth control pills)
- M-pills: Progestogen-only pills (mini-pill)
- P-syringe: Long-acting progestagen in syringe form
- P stick: Contains progestagen only
- Hormonal IUD: Has hormonal inserts with progestin
- Birth control patch, prolonged-release patch: A combination product with both estrogen and progestin
- Birth control pill, emergency contraception: Consists of a tablet with a high dose of progestin
NHI.NO
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Norwegian doctor disagrees
The post has received over 16,000 comments. There is both criticism and praise of Musk’s statements.
One of them is the well-known anti-abortion activist Abby Johnson. The American doctor writes that she got headaches from hormonal contraception. She also claims that she could have gone blind if she had not received treatment.
But not everyone supports Musk’s view.
– Contrary to what Musk says, there is little research to suggest that women gain weight from hormonal contraception, writes doctor and author Nina Brochmann Instagram.
She says the likelihood of women becoming depressed when using such contraception is small.
– Hormonal contraception can possibly increase the risk of depression, especially at the start and for teenagers. But luckily it seems to apply to a small minority of users.
She also deals with the study Musk refers to, regarding suicide. It followed nearly half a million women over an average of over eight years. That corresponds to 3.9 million life years. The conclusion was that the group with hormonal contraception had 12 more suicides per a million user-years than those without.
– The risk was tripled, but therefore extremely low, writes Brochmann.
Nina Brochmann (TV) is known, among other things, for having written the book “Gleden med skeden” together with co-author Ellen Støkken Dahl. Photo: Jan Tomas Espedal / Aftenposten
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Brochmann tells Aftenposten that it is good that you gain better knowledge about side effects through several large registry studies.
– However, the findings are not clear-cut, and it is not the way Musk portrays it, that there is a broad scientific consensus about psychological side effects.
Not a common side effect
Part of the reason why many women do not trust the advice that comes from the healthcare system is that many are not taken seriously when they experience psychological side effects, Brochmann believes.
She believes that doctors and health personnel should become better at asking about mental health when they prescribe such contraception, and they must encourage people to get in touch if they suspect side effects.
– At the same time, it is important to convey that the research that has come out in recent years does not indicate that this is a common side effect. It is not something most women need to worry about, she says.
– Horrible side effects from one preparation do not mean that you cannot tolerate hormonal contraception. Often it helps to switch.