A recent study has revealed a possible link between the use of hormonal contraceptives and an increased tendency among some women to use weight-loss injections, such as "Wegovi" and "Ozempic," to get rid of excess weight.
Danish researchers found that women who used hormonal contraceptives were more likely to begin weight-loss injection treatments than women who did not use such methods. The results also showed that women who had tried more than one type of contraception throughout their lives had the highest rates of using weight-loss treatments.
These findings come at a time when women have long reported changes in their weight after starting to use contraceptives, but scientific evidence has not yet established a direct causal link between the two.
Some experts have pointed out that the disruption of normal estrogen and progesterone levels caused by the use of contraceptives may lead to fluid retention and increased appetite.
The researchers, led by a team from Copenhagen University Hospital, explained that the study's findings are consistent with experiences reported by women in different parts of the world, but do not prove that contraceptives directly lead to weight gain or the need for weight-loss drugs.
The study analyzed the health records of approximately 250,000 women in Denmark aged between 12 and 49, including 22,694 women who subsequently began using semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovi injections, compared to 226,940 women who did not use this treatment.
Researchers did not have body mass index (BMI) data for all participants, but they found that approximately 75% of women using weight-loss injections were overweight or obese. In contrast, about 11.5% of women who did not start using semaglutide were obese, while approximately 20% were overweight.
The study included a number of hormonal contraceptives, including combined oral contraceptive pills containing estrogen and progestogen (the synthetic version of progesterone), progestogen-only pills, as well as hormonal IUDs, implants, vaginal rings and patches.
The results showed that women who had used combined oral contraceptive pills, progestin-only pills, or hormonal IUDs were more likely to start using semaglutide. The likelihood of using weight-loss injections also increased among women who switched between different types of contraception, particularly from combined pills to progestin-only pills or to hormonal IUDs.
The researchers suggested that women who use contraception may be more likely to receive weight loss treatments because of their frequent contact with healthcare providers, giving them greater opportunities to discuss weight issues and obtain appropriate treatment options.
The study was published in the journal JAMA Network Open, noting the need for more research to understand the nature of the relationship between hormonal contraceptives and weight changes more accurately.
