Hormonal Birth Control Found to Influence Emotion and Memory

Hormonal birth control is used by millions of women worldwide — most commonly to prevent pregnancy, but also to manage health conditions such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and irregular menstrual cycles. While its physical effects are well documented, many women have long noticed its impact on mood and emotions.

Now, new research from Rice University suggests these effects go deeper than previously understood, influencing not only emotional responses but also memory.

The study, published in Hormones and Behavior, shows that hormonal contraceptives can shape how women regulate emotions in the moment and how they later remember emotional events.

More Than Reproductive Health

“Birth control can affect more than reproductive health — it also influences brain areas involved in emotions and memory, which are central to mental health,” said Beatriz Brandao, lead author and graduate student at Rice University.

Researchers compared women using hormonal contraceptives with women who were naturally cycling. Participants viewed positive, negative and neutral images while applying different strategies to regulate their emotions, such as:

• Distancing – creating mental space from the image

• Reinterpretation – reframing the meaning of the image

• Immersion – fully engaging with the image

Later, participants completed memory tests to measure what details they recalled.

Stronger Reactions, Different Memories

The findings revealed several striking differences:

• Women on hormonal birth control showed stronger emotional reactions compared with naturally cycling women.

• When using distancing or reinterpretation strategies, contraceptive users remembered fewer details of negative events. They could recall the event in general terms but were less likely to retain unpleasant specifics. Researchers suggest this may be protective, helping women move on from negative experiences instead of replaying them.

• For both groups, using immersion enhanced memory for positive images, meaning happy experiences were more vividly recalled.

“These results shed light on how hormonal contraceptives may influence emotion and memory processes in important ways,” said Bryan Denny, associate professor of psychological sciences at Rice and co-author of the study.

Implications for Mental Health

Emotion regulation and memory are closely linked to mental health outcomes, including risks of depression and anxiety. If hormonal contraceptives influence these processes, the findings could have important implications for how women experience and manage their emotional wellbeing.

“We were surprised to find that hormonal birth control users remembered fewer details of negative events when regulating their emotions,” Brandao said. “That reduced memory for unpleasant experiences may actually be protective.”

Senior author Stephanie Leal, adjunct assistant professor at Rice and assistant professor at UCLA, added:

“Hormonal birth control appears to modulate both how women regulate emotions and how that regulation impacts memory — particularly for negative experiences.”

What Comes Next?

The research team plans to expand the study by examining naturally cycling women across different menstrual phases, as well as comparing various types of hormonal contraceptives, such as pills versus intrauterine devices (IUDs).

“Ultimately, our goal is to understand how reproductive hormones — whether natural or synthetic — shape emotional health, so that women can make more informed choices about both reproductive and mental health,” Brandao said.

The study was co-authored by Madelyn Castro, Jacob B. Buergler, and Kayla R. Clark, and supported by Rice University.

Reference:Brandao, B. M., et al. (2025). Emotion regulation strategies differentially impact memory in hormonal contraceptive users. Hormones and Behavior. doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105805