Medical students' use of oral contraceptives: a viewpoint focusing on cardiovascular health

Abstract

Introduction: Women of all age groups use oral contraceptives (OCP) to prevent unintended pregnancy. The relationship between the use of oral contraceptives (OC) and the risk for cardiovascular (CV) events, such as venous thromboembolism (VTE), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and stroke, has been studied for many years. Some adverse reactions are reported by some women, such as headache and dizziness. Objective: To analyze the prevalence of OC use among medical students, as well as the prevalence of self-reported symptoms common to cardiovascular disease (CVD), lipemia, and the frequency of gynecological and cardiological evaluations. Methods: The present study was constructed from an anonymous CV risk factor (RF) self-report questionnaire answered by female medical students during June and November 2020. Data were tabulated in Excel and statistics performed by the Minitab program. Results: About 75% of the women interviewed take or have taken OACs, and 70% of the total of 217 interviewees have some CV symptoms. Conclusion: Cardiovascular symptoms were reported among the female students who use OC, and the correlation between the time of use and the symptoms was considered statistically significant.