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. 2021 Jul 30:15:667563.
doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.667563. eCollection 2021.

Hormonal Contraception and Violent Death: The Physiological and Psychological Links

Angela Lanfranchi  1   2
Affiliations

Hormonal Contraception and Violent Death: The Physiological and Psychological Links

Angela Lanfranchi. Front Behav Neurosci. .

Abstract

In the past decade, two large prospective cohort studies of British and American women have been conducted which found a statistically significant increase in the risk of violent death in ever-users of hormonal contraceptives. Research on the effects of hormonal contraceptives upon the behaviors of intimate partners and on the physiology of women using hormonal contraceptives has provided insight into the possible basis for the resulting increase in violent death. This review examines the changes that are potential contributors to the reported increase.

Keywords: brain structure; hormonal contraception; human vomeronasal organ; intimate partner violence; major histocompatibility genes; mate retention behaviors; pheromones; violent death.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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