The Effects of Hormone Contraceptives on Spatial Task Performance in Young Women

The impact of hormone contraceptives on cognitive function in young women remains a topic of ongoing debate, with inconsistent findings across studies. While some research suggests a beneficial effect on cognitive performance, others report no effect. The variability in these reports may be due to the different types of hormone contraceptives available, each potentially influencing memory differently. The present study examined the effects of progesterone-only contraceptives and combined hormone contraceptives (consisting of estrogen and progesterone) on spatial memory performance using the landmark memory task in young women (18-25 years old). Results indicate no significant differences in landmark memory task scores between naturally cycling women and those using hormone contraceptives. There were also no differences in spatial task scores between women using progesterone-only contraceptives and those using combined hormone contraceptives. These findings suggest that the use of hormone contraceptives does not significantly impact spatial memory performance in young women.