Contraception Choice for Female Endurance Athletes: What’s Sport Got to Do With It? A Cross-Sectional Survey

IF 9.3 1区医学 Q1 SPORT SCIENCES

Sports Medicine Pub Date : 2024-09-01 DOI:10.1007/s40279-024-02078-1

Stephanie Ryall, Heidi Ohrling, Trent Stellingwerff, Stephanie Black, Kristen Reilly, Jane S. Thornton

{"title":"Contraception Choice for Female Endurance Athletes: What’s Sport Got to Do With It? A Cross-Sectional Survey","authors":"Stephanie Ryall, Heidi Ohrling, Trent Stellingwerff, Stephanie Black, Kristen Reilly, Jane S. Thornton","doi":"10.1007/s40279-024-02078-1","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Background</h3><p>While there are several prescribed contraceptive methods available, limited evidence exists to guide contraceptive decision-making in the context of endurance sport.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Objectives</h3><p>Study objectives were to characterize current and previous use, perceived impacts, and the decision process around contraceptives in endurance athletes.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>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.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>A total of 323 female endurance athletes participated. Among current contraception users (<i>n</i> = 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.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusions</h3><p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":21969,"journal":{"name":"Sports Medicine","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.3000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Sports Medicine","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-024-02078-1","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"SPORT SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

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.

Abstract Image

查看原文本刊更多论文

女性耐力运动员的避孕选择：运动与此有关吗？横断面调查

背景虽然有多种处方避孕方法可供选择，但用于指导耐力运动中避孕决策的证据却很有限。研究目标研究耐力运动员当前和以往使用避孕药具的情况、感知到的影响以及避孕药具的决策过程。方法这是一项在线调查研究，通过社交媒体和电子邮件向大学/俱乐部教练和体育组织招募女性耐力运动员。结果共有 323 名女性耐力运动员参与了调查。在目前的避孕使用者（n = 182）中，51% 使用荷尔蒙宫内节育器（hIUDs），29% 使用口服避孕药（OCPs），13% 使用非荷尔蒙宫内节育器（nhIUDs）。hIUDs 使用者认为对训练（39%）和比赛（29%）的积极影响最大，她们认为减少月经出血和症状是积极的副作用。OCP 和宫内节育器使用者认为对训练有负面影响的比例较高（OCP 10%，宫内节育器 30%）。在 OCP 使用者中，31% 的人认为身体成分有不良影响，37% 的人认为情绪有负面变化。在宫内节育器使用者中，74%的人经历了更严重、更不规则的月经出血。半数以上的参与者不确定他们目前使用的避孕方法对其表现的影响。对于避孕药具的选择，95% 的人认为医生提供的信息很重要，但 32% 的人认为在咨询讨论中没有充分考虑到成绩。这项探索性研究对女性耐力运动员在避孕方面的生活经验进行了量化和定性。在参与者中，宫内节育器是目前使用最多、耐受性最好的避孕药具。这项研究为寻求避孕措施并希望优化成绩和健康的运动员以及指导他们的医疗保健专业人员提供了有价值的见解。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Sports Medicine 医学-运动科学

CiteScore

18.40

自引率

5.10%

发文量

165

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： Sports Medicine focuses on providing definitive and comprehensive review articles that interpret and evaluate current literature, aiming to offer insights into research findings in the sports medicine and exercise field. The journal covers major topics such as sports medicine and sports science, medical syndromes associated with sport and exercise, clinical medicine's role in injury prevention and treatment, exercise for rehabilitation and health, and the application of physiological and biomechanical principles to specific sports. Types of Articles: Review Articles: Definitive and comprehensive reviews that interpret and evaluate current literature to provide rationale for and application of research findings. Leading/Current Opinion Articles: Overviews of contentious or emerging issues in the field. Original Research Articles: High-quality research articles. Enhanced Features: Additional features like slide sets, videos, and animations aimed at increasing the visibility, readership, and educational value of the journal's content. Plain Language Summaries: Summaries accompanying articles to assist readers in understanding important medical advances. Peer Review Process: All manuscripts undergo peer review by international experts to ensure quality and rigor. The journal also welcomes Letters to the Editor, which will be considered for publication.