Until now, no one had studied the brain before, during, and after taking hormonal contraceptives.
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The largest female brain imaging study to date shows that hormonal contraception may reduce brain volume, but it is not clear how this affects brain function.
Hormonal contraceptives have been around since the 1960s. But it’s only in the last 10 to 20 years that scientists have begun to study its potential effects on the brain, says Karina Heller of the University of Minnesota. Previous studies have shown differences in brain volume among women taking hormonal contraceptives…
