Contraceptive use in women of childbearing age with bipolar disorder.
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Processes and Speech Therapy, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain.
- 2Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, IiSGM, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain.
- 3Department of Psychiatry, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, University of Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Clermont Auvergne INP, Institut Pascal (UMR 6602), Clermont-Ferrand, France.
- 4Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
- 5INT-UMR 7289, CNRS Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.
- 6Department of Psychiatry, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, University of Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Clermont Auvergne INP, Institut Pascal (UMR 6602), Clermont-Ferrand, France. [email protected].
Abstract
Introduction
Unplanned pregnancies are frequent in women with bipolar disorder (BD) while perinatal period is associated with a higher risk of relapse. Effective contraception during childbearing age in BD could reduce the risk of unplanned pregnancy and its consequences. The present study studied the prevalence of contraceptive use and which sociodemographic and clinical variables affect its use in women with BD.Methods
796 women (18-50 years old) with BD were recruited and evaluated by the MONTRA survey in France among hospital and consultant psychiatrists. Sociodemographic, clinical and treatment variables were compared between patients with and without contraception use. A logistic regression estimated which variables had a predictive effect on the use of contraception.Results
A 61.2% reported the use of effective contraception. Women who use contraception were in 26-35 (OR = 2.40,p < 0.001) and 36-45 (OR = 1.92,p < 0.001) range age, displayed higher levels of education (OR = 5.07,p = 0.003), were more active (OR = 1.63,p = 0.006), did not live alone (OR = 1.41,p = 0.033) and had fewer manic or mixed episodes (OR = 0.50,p = 0.007).No association was found with the nature of pharmacological treatment.Conclusion
Sociodemographic variables were mainly associated with contraception use among BD women. As preventive measures for risk of relapse in BD, contraceptive counseling, including reduction of unplanned pregnancies, should be systematically ensured.
Related
- Women With Bipolar Disorder are at Increased Risk of Sarcopenia.
- Depression and associated factors among women of childbearing age : A cross-sectional study based on the health ecology model
- The positive correlation between physical exercise and the fertility intention of women of childbearing age: an empirical analysis based on the Chinese General Social Survey
- Anti-HBc seropositivity among women of childbearing age in Indonesia: a nationally representative cross-sectional study
- Prevalence and associated factors of depression, anxiety, and stress among women of childbearing age in Lorestan, Iran: a cross-sectional study
BibTeX
@article{rodrigueztoscano2026contraceptive,
title = {{Contraceptive use in women of childbearing age with bipolar disorder.}},
author = {Elisa Rodríguez-Toscano and Ingrid de Chazeron and Raoul Belzeaux and Pierre Michel Llorca and Ludovic Samalin},
journal = {BMC psychiatry},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1186/s12888-026-08348-8},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42850618},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Contraceptive use in women of childbearing age with bipolar disorder.
AU - Elisa Rodríguez-Toscano
AU - Ingrid de Chazeron
AU - Raoul Belzeaux
AU - Pierre Michel Llorca
AU - Ludovic Samalin
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/09
JO - BMC psychiatry
DO - 10.1186/s12888-026-08348-8
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42850618
AB - Introduction Unplanned pregnancies are frequent in women with bipolar disorder (BD) while perinatal period is associated with a higher risk of relapse. Effective contraception during childbearing age in BD could reduce the risk of unplanned pregnancy and its consequences. The present study studied the prevalence of contraceptive use and which sociodemographic and clinical variables affect its use in women with BD.Methods 796 women (18-50 years old) with BD were recruited and evaluated by the MONTRA survey in France among hospital and consultant psychiatrists. Sociodemographic, clinical and treatment variables were compared between patients with and without contraception use. A logistic regression estimated which variables had a predictive effect on the use of contraception.Results A 61.2% reported the use of effective contraception. Women who use contraception were in 26-35 (OR = 2.40,p < 0.001) and 36-45 (OR = 1.92,p < 0.001) range age, displayed higher levels of education (OR = 5.07,p = 0.003), were more active (OR = 1.63,p = 0.006), did not live alone (OR = 1.41,p = 0.033) and had fewer manic or mixed episodes (OR = 0.50,p = 0.007).No association was found with the nature of pharmacological treatment.Conclusion Sociodemographic variables were mainly associated with contraception use among BD women. As preventive measures for risk of relapse in BD, contraceptive counseling, including reduction of unplanned pregnancies, should be systematically ensured.
SN - 1471-244X
ER -