--- title: 'How Hormonal Contraception Can Affect Your Mood' slug: mood-changes-hormonal-contraception-evidence lifeStage: cycle category: Mood medicalReviewer: "Dr Rebeccah Tomlinson, Private GP Women's Health: Menopause Speciality" reviewerId: 'https://blog.bloume.com/cycle/medical-board.md#dr-rebeccah-tomlinson' lastUpdated: '2026-06-08' primarySource: 'CoSRH Statement: Effect of Hormonal Contraception in Individuals with Anxiety and Mood (Affective) Disorders' --- # How Hormonal Contraception Can Affect Your Mood You may notice low mood, irritability, or a flatness you cannot explain after starting hormonal contraception. These mood changes are listed as possible side effects across several methods, including the pill, implant, hormonal IUS, and injection. The evidence links hormonal contraception to low mood in some cases, though pinning down cause and effect is complex. Your personal history and the specific method you use both matter. Tracking your mood and speaking to your GP are the most useful steps if something feels off. **Q: Can hormonal contraception cause depression?** A: Mood changes are listed as a possible side effect of several hormonal contraceptive methods. If you experience low mood or depression while using hormonal contraception, speak to your GP or a sexual health clinic. Starting a new pill and noticing your mood shift is more common than it is often acknowledged. A low that is hard to place, an irritability that feels out of character, or a flatness that was not there before. Synthetic hormones interact with the same pathways in your brain that regulate how you feel, and for some people that interaction is noticeable. If that has been your experience, it is worth understanding why. ## How synthetic hormones can affect mood and why the experience varies Oestrogen and progestogen are the two hormones that rise and fall naturally across your cycle, and they play a significant role in how you feel day to day. Hormonal contraception introduces synthetic versions of one or both of these, and for some people that change is noticeable. Not because the levels are wrong, but because a synthetic hormone can interact with your brain and body differently to the ones you produce naturally. Whether you feel that difference, and how much, varies a lot. If your mood already shifts around your cycle with PMS, or you have a history of depression, you may find you are more sensitive to hormonal methods. Your age and the brand of contraception can play a part too. ## Which methods are most associated with mood changes? For the combined pill, mood changes are one of the more commonly reported side effects. They often settle after a few months as your body adjusts, but if they do not, that is worth raising with your GP or a sexual health clinician rather than putting down to the pill being right for you. The progestogen-only pill, sometimes called the mini pill, can affect mood too. Low mood or depression that comes on after starting it is worth getting looked at sooner rather than later. The hormonal IUS, the contraceptive implant and the contraceptive injection have all been associated with mood changes, though the evidence is less consistent across these methods than it is for the pill. ## When to speak to your GP or a sexual health clinic If your mood has shifted since starting a hormonal method, you do not have to wait until something feels serious enough to mention. A scheduled appointment is not the only time to raise it, and you do not need to have a clear explanation ready. How your contraception is affecting how you feel is enough of a reason to get in touch. > **WARNING**: Seek prompt medical attention if you develop new or severe depression, or a significant deterioration in your mental health, after starting or changing hormonal contraception. If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, contact your GP urgently, call NHS 111, or contact the Samaritans on 116 123 (free, 24 hours). These are urgent symptoms that require prompt support, separate from any contraceptive review. ## How to approach switching methods If mood changes are affecting your day to day, switching formulation or method is a reasonable path and one your GP can support. You do not have to stay on something that is not working for you. The copper IUD does not release hormones, so it does not carry the same risk of mood-related effects. It can make periods heavier and cramping more noticeable, which is worth knowing before you decide. Barrier methods and fertility awareness-based methods have no hormonal side effects, though they work differently to hormonal methods in terms of effectiveness. It is worth talking through the options so you have cover that works for you through any change. How you feel matters as part of any conversation about contraception, not just whether a method is working in the technical sense. If your current method is affecting your mood, asking for a review is completely reasonable. --- **Q: Can hormonal contraception cause depression?** Mood changes are listed as a possible side effect of several hormonal contraceptive methods. If you experience low mood or depression while using hormonal contraception, speak to your GP or a sexual health clinic. **Q: Which hormonal contraceptive methods are most likely to affect mood?** Mood changes are listed as possible side effects of the combined oral contraceptive pill, the progestogen-only pill, the hormonal IUS, the contraceptive implant, and the contraceptive injection. How strong the evidence is varies across these methods. Your individual risk factors, including a history of depression or sensitivity to hormonal shifts, influence how likely you are to be affected. A conversation with your GP or clinician can help you find the most suitable option. **Q: What should you do if your contraception seems to be affecting your mood?** Speak to your GP or a sexual health clinic about what you are experiencing. Clinical guidance supports offering a review and the option to try a different formulation or method, including non-hormonal alternatives such as the copper IUD, if your current method is affecting your mood. Do not stop your contraception without speaking to a clinician first. **Q: Does the copper IUD affect mood?** The copper IUD does not release hormones, so it does not carry a risk of hormonally driven mood changes. It is a recommended option if hormonal contraception is affecting how you feel. The copper IUD can cause heavier periods and more cramping, particularly in the first few months after insertion, which is worth factoring into your decision. Your GP or a sexual health clinician can walk you through the full picture of benefits and side effects. **Q: Are younger people more at risk of mood changes from hormonal contraception?** Clinical guidance suggests that younger people may be particularly sensitive to mood-related effects of hormonal contraception. If you are a younger person using or considering hormonal contraception and have a history of mood difficulties, this is an important thing to raise with your GP or clinician when discussing your options. ### Clinical Sources - [CoSRH Statement: Effect of Hormonal Contraception in Individuals with Anxiety and Mood (Affective) Disorders](ttps://www.cosrh.org/Common/Uploaded%20files/documents/UKMEC_2025_Hormonal_Contraception_Mental_Health_Statement.pdf check Resolve) - [Contraception and mental health: keeping well NWL](https://www.keepingwellnwl.nhs.uk/self-help-resources/womens-health/contraception-and-mental-health) - [Contraception and mental health: keeping well NWL](https://www.keepingwellnwl.nhs.uk/self-help-resources/womens-health/contraception-and-mental-health) - [Contraception and mental health: keeping well NWL](https://www.keepingwellnwl.nhs.uk/self-help-resources/womens-health/contraception-and-mental-health) - [CoSRH Statement: Effect of Hormonal Contraception in Individuals with Anxiety and Mood (Affective) Disorders](ttps://www.cosrh.org/Common/Uploaded%20files/documents/UKMEC_2025_Hormonal_Contraception_Mental_Health_Statement.pdf check Resolve) - [Contraception and mental health: keeping well NWL](https://www.keepingwellnwl.nhs.uk/self-help-resources/womens-health/contraception-and-mental-health) - [Side effects and risks of non-hormonal contraception 101](https://www.nhs.uk/contraception/choosing-contraception/side-effects-and-risks-of-non-hormonal-contraception/) - [Side effects and risks of non-hormonal contraception 101](https://www.nhs.uk/contraception/choosing-contraception/side-effects-and-risks-of-non-hormonal-contraception/) --- Reviewed by Dr Rebeccah Tomlinson, Private GP Women's Health: Menopause Speciality | [Medical Board](https://blog.bloume.com/cycle/medical-board.md) | June 2026