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Taking one of the most commonly-prescribed contraceptive pills can make women miserable, a new study has found.

Women who take pills containing ethinylestradiol reported that they had a low mood, low energy levels and minimal self-control.

The ingredient – a synthetic form of oestrogen – is found in two of the best known brands of contraception, Microgynon and Rigevidon.

Scientists in Stockholm carried out the three-month study, published in the scientific journal of Fertility and Sterility, on 340 women aged 18 to 35-years-old.

Those given the drugs reported that their quality of life was significantly lower than those taking the placebo.

Researcher Niklas Zethraeus told The Sun the results may be down to irregular use of the pill but said: “This possible degradation of quality of life should be paid attention to and taken into account in conjunction with prescribing of contraceptive pills and when choosing a method of contraception.”

Professor Angelica Lindén Hirschberg added: “Despite the fact that an estimated 100 million women around the world use contraceptive pills we know surprisingly little today about the pill’s effect on women’s health.

“The scientific base is very limited as regards the contraceptive pill’s effect on quality of life and depression and there is a great need for randomised studies where it is compared with placebos.”