Almost quarter of women say hormonal contraception contributed to relationship ending

Almost a quarter of women say hormonal contraception directly caused or played a role in their relationship or marriage coming to an end, new research has found.Data from the UK’s largest family law firm, shared exclusively with The Independent, discovered some 23 per cent of women said they had experienced this. While 85 per cent of women who had taken hormonal birth control said their current or previous marriage or relationship had been impacted by the contraception’s side effects.The research, carried out by Stowe Family Law, found some 63 per cent of women were forced to come off a form of contraception due to side effects altering their relationship.Almost nine in ten women who had used hormonal contraception said it had affected their mental or physical health.Researchers, who polled 506 women aged between 18 and 60, found just over seven in ten of those who had taken hormonal contraception said they suffered mood swings, while almost half had experienced depression, and around three in ten said they had grappled with anxiety.Around four in ten said mood swings generate communication problems, meanwhile around six in ten said mood swings trigger rows.Hormonal contraception is used to stop women from getting pregnant – with common forms including the combined pill, mini pill, an intrauterine device (IUD), the implant, injections, skin patches, vaginal rings, and skin patches.Sarah Barr-Young, a managing partner at Stowe Family Law, told The Independent: ‘Hormonal changes affect relationships in subtle and not-so-subtle ways.’The ups and downs of oestrogen, testosterone and progesterone in a woman’s menstrual cycle can have a powerful effect on how women feel about their partner and relationship. For those women taking hormonal contraception, the impact on relationships is increased.’Ms Barr-Young noted the ‘breakdown’ of a relationship can be prompted by ‘an explosive event’ like an affair, or one partner choosing to break it off, or distance slowly mounting between the couple.’One common factor I see is that communication has completely broken down between the couple, so they cannot resolve their issues,’ she added. ‘Hormonal changes, particularly during pregnancy, postpartum and menopause, can also have a dramatic impact on relationships and are often referred to as divorce danger zones.’But the lawyer argued, in her own experience, it is uncommon for such ‘changes’ to ‘directly’ make the relationship fall apart but rather serves to shine a light on and compound pre-existing problem.The fresh research found almost a quarter of women feared hormonal side effects precipitated by contraception will have detrimental repercussions on their relationship in the future.’If the relationship is already struggling and communication has broken down, it may not have the resilience to survive the challenges hormonal changes can bring,’ Ms Barr-Young said.