For the study, researchers examined influenza infections in groups of female mice, some of which received progesterone implants prior to infection. The implant group experienced less pulmonary inflammation, had better lung function and saw speedier recovery times for their damaged lung cells when compared with the non-implant group.
“Despite the staggering number of women who take this kind of birth control, very few studies are out there that evaluate the impact of contraceptives on how the body responds to infections beyond sexually transmitted diseases,” said Sabra L. Klein, PhD, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. “Understanding the role that progesterone appears to play in repairing lung cells could really be important for women’s health.’
Women of reproductive age are twice as likely as men to experience complications like lower respiratory issues when infected with influenza.
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