Oral Contraceptives and MS

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is more frequent in women than in men, suggesting that sex hormones could play a role in the development of MS. For this reason, several studies have assessed whether use of oral contraceptives modifies the risk of MS.

In this article, the methodology and results of published epidemiologic studies addressing this issue are reviewed. On the whole, the existing epidemiologic evidence does not support an important effect of oral contraceptive use on the risk of MS, though it does suggest that oral contraceptives might delay the onset of the disease.