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Contraception Choice for Female Endurance Athletes: What's Sport Got to Do With It? A Cross-Sectional Survey.
Ryall, Stephanie; Ohrling, Heidi; Stellingwerff, Trent; Black, Stephanie; Reilly, Kristen; Thornton, Jane S.
Afiliación
  • Ryall S; Return to Health and Performance Lab, Department of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada. sryall@uwo.ca.
  • Ohrling H; Return to Health and Performance Lab, Department of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
  • Stellingwerff T; Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, Victoria, BC, Canada.
  • Black S; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
  • Reilly K; Return to Health and Performance Lab, Department of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
  • Thornton JS; Department of Family Medicine, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
Sports Med ; 2024 Sep 01.
Article en En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39217588
ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

While there are several prescribed contraceptive methods available, limited evidence exists to guide contraceptive decision-making in the context of endurance sport.

OBJECTIVES:

Study objectives were to characterize current and previous use, perceived impacts, and the decision process around contraceptives in endurance athletes.

METHODS:

This was an online survey study with female endurance athletes recruited through social media and emails to university/club coaches and sport organizations. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and conventional content analysis, respectively.

RESULTS:

A total of 323 female endurance athletes participated. Among current contraception users (n = 182), 51% used hormonal intrauterine devices (hIUDs), 29% oral contraceptive pills (OCPs), and 13% nonhormonal IUDs (nhIUDs). hIUD users had the highest perceived positive training (39%) and competition (29%) impacts, citing reduced menstrual bleeding and symptoms as positive side effects. OCP and nhIUD users had higher rates of perceived negative training impacts (OCPs 10%, nhIUDs 30%). For OCP users, 31% reported perceived adverse body composition outcomes and 37% reported negative mood changes. Among nhIUD users, 74% experienced heavier, more irregular menstrual bleeding. Over half of participants were unsure about the impact of their current method on performance. For contraceptive selection, 95% felt that information from physicians was important, yet 32% felt performance was inadequately considered during counseling discussion. Athletes reported less frustration with their contraception choice when counseled in the context of sport.

CONCLUSIONS:

This exploratory study quantifies and qualifies the lived experiences of female endurance athletes with contraception. hIUDs were the most currently used and well-tolerated contraceptives among participants. This research offers valuable insights for athletes seeking contraception and looking to optimize both performance and health, along with the healthcare professionals guiding them.
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Texto completo: 1 Colección: 01-internacional Base de datos: MEDLINE Idioma: En Revista: Sports Med Asunto de la revista: MEDICINA ESPORTIVA Año: 2024 Tipo del documento: Article País de afiliación: Canadá Pais de publicación: Nueva Zelanda
Texto completo
Añadir a Mi BVS
Imprimir
XML
PubMed Links
Buscar en Google

Texto completo: 1 Colección: 01-internacional Base de datos: MEDLINE Idioma: En Revista: Sports Med Asunto de la revista: MEDICINA ESPORTIVA Año: 2024 Tipo del documento: Article País de afiliación: Canadá Pais de publicación: Nueva Zelanda