Speech Articulation of Low-Dose Oral Contraceptive Users.
OBJECTIVE
In the female life cycle, hormonal fluctuations may result in impaired verbal efficiency and vocal worsening during the premenstrual phase. Oral contraceptives may interfere with vocal range. Voice, resonance, and articulation variations clarify speech content. To investigate the phonoarticulatory sounds produced by oral contraceptive users aged between 20 and 30 years.


METHODS
This is a cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Our study included four groups of women (n = 66): two groups used low-dose oral contraceptives and two groups did not use any oral contraceptives. Questionnaires and sound records were used. Acoustic analysis was performed using the Computerized Speech Laboratory program, Model 4341 (Kay Elemetrics Corp, Lincoln Park, New Jersey). The statistical analysis of the SPPS database, version 13.0, was performed by means of generalized estimating equation.


RESULTS
In the groups that did not use oral contraceptives, sustained vowel tones were more acute in the two phases and cycles of women older than 25 years (w/oOC1, 175 ± 74 to 190 ± 55 Hz; w/oOC2, 194 ± 56 to 210 ± 32 Hz). At the midfollicular phase (Fph) and midluteal phase (Lph) of the two cycles, the speed of the speech was slower in this group (w/oOC1: Fph, 5.3 ± 1.6/s and Lph, 5.4 ± 1.4/s; w/oOC2: Fph, 4.5 ± 1.7/s and Lph, 4.8 ± 1.1/s). In both groups that used oral contraceptives, there was a higher modulation frequency in the sentences when compared with nonusers (OC1, 33 ± 10 Hz; w/oOC1, 28 ± 10 Hz; OC2, 34 ± 10 Hz; w/oOC2, 27 ± 10 Hz). Vocal intensity was closer between the OC1 (62 ± 4 dB), w/oOC1 (61 ± 3 dB), and OC2 (63 ± 4 dB) groups when compared with the w/oOC2 (67 ± 6 dB) group.


CONCLUSIONS
We demonstrated hormonal influences on speech articulation of contraceptive users and nonusers.
Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Eliséa Maria
EM
Meurer
School of Psychology, Universidade da Região da Campanha, URCAMP/Bagé Campus, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Giana Valeria Fagundez
GV
Fontoura
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Helena von Eye
Hv
Corleta
Excellence Initiative, Department of Gynecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address: edcapp@ufrgs.br.
Edison
E
Capp
D000328:Adult; D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013062:Speech Articulation Tests; D014831:Voice / Q000187:drug effects*; D055815:Young Adult
D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal
Acoustic records; Connected speech; Isolated emissions; Menacme; Menstrual cycles; Oral contraceptives; Speech articulation