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Weak associations between personality and contraceptive choice.
Belinda Pletzer1, Carmen Lang1, Birgit Derntl2
1Department of Psychology and Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
Frontiers in Neuroscience
|November 17, 2022
Summary
Personality traits show minimal association with the decision to use hormonal contraceptives (HC). However, personality differences emerge when comparing types of HC used, with IUD users exhibiting higher agreeableness and extraversion than oral contraceptive users.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Reproductive Health
Background:
- Research on hormonal contraceptive (HC) effects on the brain is limited, with most evidence from cross-sectional studies.
- Potential confounds in HC research include age, education, social status, and relationship status.
- Understanding factors influencing HC choices is crucial given declining usage and increasing skepticism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between women's personality characteristics and their choice to use or not use HC.
- To determine if personality influences the type of HC chosen.
- To identify potential confounds for neuroscientific studies on HC.
Main Methods:
- An online survey of 1,391 females aged 18-45.
- Utilized the HEXACO-60 personality questionnaire and gender role measures.
- Collected data on current, past, and future contraceptive status, attitudes, and experiences.
Main Results:
- Personality associations with the decision to use or not use HC were negligible.
- Significant personality differences were found between types of HC used.
- Current IUD users displayed higher agreeableness and extraversion compared to oral contraceptive users.
Conclusions:
- Personality is more strongly linked to the choice of contraceptive type than the decision between hormonal and non-hormonal methods.
- These findings highlight the importance of considering contraceptive type, not just HC status, in research.
- Personality may influence specific contraceptive method selection, impacting study interpretations.
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