Oral contraceptive pill containing drospirenone and the professional voice: An electrolaryngographic analysis

Abstract

Few studies have been concerned with the effects of combined oral contraceptive pills (OCP) on those who use their voices as a tool of trade. A cohort study involving 20 female professional voice users was carried out assessing irregularity of vocal fold vibration, based on: 1) period-to-period frequency peaks (CFx), and 2) period-to-period amplitude peaks (CAx) in the cycle-to-cycle excitation of the vocal tract. These vocal measures and blood samples were collected at three points of the menstrual cycle, for both natural and OCP cycles. No significant differences were found in vocal parameters assessed between the natural and OCP cycles. The intake of this OCP was not found to have a systematic effect on the vocal parameters studied. Based on these results the modern OCP preparations can be considered safe medications which do not have a negative effect on voice quality in professional voice users.

Using electrolaryngography and electroglottography to assess the singing voice: A systematic review.

“…Further analysis of the data applied to the audio or the Lx signal, depending on the reliability of the output, also showed a slower vibrato rate during OCP than during a natural cycle, and a lack of effects when singers performed a higher note in relation to the vibrato extent (Lã, Sundberg, Howard, Sa-Couto, & Freitas, 2012). Results were corroborated by a larger study with 20 singers, demonstrating that current OCPs do not have a negative effect on the voice quality of professional singers, based on regularity of vocal fold vibrations (Lã, Howard, Ledger, Davidson, & Jones, 2009).…”

Risk Factors for Voice Disorders among Fado Singers: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Traditionally, oral contraceptives are considered a risk factor for voice quality. However, some contradictions were found in the literature that defend the innocuous effect or even the improvement in voice parameters or resonance caused by oral contraceptives, whether in professional voice users or not [46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53]. A recent revision of the available literature on the topic was conducted, which, specifically addressing singers, states that oral birth pills improve vocal stability [54].…”

Stimmärztliche Betreuung und Behandlung von Sängern

“…Des Weiteren spielen hormonelle Einflüsse [7,19] und auch psychologische Faktorennicht nur hinsichtlich des Lampenfiebers -z. T. eine sehr große Rolle [35]. Den psychologischen Faktoren ist wegen ihrer großen Bedeutung ein eigener Artikel in diesem Heft gewidmet [36].…”