Do oral contraceptives improve vocal quality? Limited trial on low-dose formulations.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of low-dose monophasic oral contraceptives on female vocal quality.


METHODS
Acoustic voice parameters of six women who use oral contraceptives and six women who do not were evaluated repeatedly during the menstrual cycle. Frequency and amplitude variations were measured using a computerized voice analysis program. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was performed to test differences between groups for each acoustic voice parameter.


RESULTS
Vocal stability among the women who use oral contraceptives was significantly better than among those who did not use oral contraceptives (P <.05). Specifically, amplitude and frequency variations between successive vocal cycles were smaller in women using oral contraceptives in comparison with the control group (.24 dB versus.37 dB and.86% versus 1.27% for amplitude and frequency variations, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Contrary to the reports of adverse effects that high-dose pills have on voice, low-dose oral contraceptives show a favorable influence on voice in young women.
Amir
Ofer
O
Department of Communication Disorders, Sackler Medical School, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel. oferamir@post.tau.ac.il
Biron-Shental
Tal
T
Muchnik
Chava
C
Kishon-Rabin
Liat
L
D000328:Adult; D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D009652:Norpregnenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D014833:Voice Quality / Q000187:drug effects*
D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined; D009652:Norpregnenes; C033273:Gestodene; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol