Estrogen-containing contraceptive use and blood lead concentrations in a cohort of premenopausal individuals
Recommended Citation
Chapman LE, Hall MS, Foster A, Baird DD, Harmon QE, Wright RO, Landero JA, Heffron R, Wise LA, Wegienka G, Geller RJ, Wesselink AK, Schildroth S, Hall JE, Tokar EJ, and Upson K. Estrogen-containing contraceptive use and blood lead concentrations in a cohort of premenopausal individuals. Environ Res 2025;286(Pt 3):122935.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-25-2025
Publication Title
Environmental research
Keywords
Humans, Female, Lead/blood, Adult, Cross-Sectional Studies, Young Adult, Cohort Studies, Premenopause, Estrogens, Environmental Pollutants/blood, Bone health, Cross-sectional study, Epidemiology, Oral contraceptives, Premenopausal women, lead
Abstract
After exposure, toxic metal lead is stored in the skeleton and is mobilized to systemic circulation with bone turnover. Given the bone-conserving properties of estrogen, we investigated whether current use of estrogen-containing contraception is associated with lower blood lead concentrations. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using enrollment data from the Study of Environment, Lifestyle & Fibroids (SELF), a cohort of 1693 Black women ages 23-35 years enrolled in years 2010-2012. The study population was restricted to non-users of injectable hormonal contraception with questionnaire data on hormonal contraceptive use and laboratory data on whole blood lead concentrations (n = 1549). The geometric mean blood lead concentrations for current users of estrogen-containing contraception and non-users were 0.41 μg/dl (95 % CI: 0.39-0.43) and 0.51 μg/dl (95 % CI: 0.50-0.52), respectively. After adjusting for age, education, current smoking status, alcohol consumption, recency of injectable contraceptive hormone use, and recent birth using a multivariable linear regression model to estimate the percent difference in blood lead concentrations, current use of estrogen-containing contraception was associated with an 11 % lower blood-lead concentrations (95 % CI: -16 %, -5 %). In exploratory analyses considering contraceptive type, current combined oral contraceptive users (n = 187) had 10 % lower blood lead concentrations (95 % CI: -16 %, -4 %) and contraceptive vaginal ring/transdermal patch users (n = 33) had 18 % lower blood lead concentrations (95 % CI: -29 %, -5 %) compared with non-users. Given the known toxic effects of lead and the common use of estrogen-containing contraception, further research is warranted to confirm our observation of lower blood lead concentrations with current use of estrogen-containing contraception.
Medical Subject Headings
Humans; Female; Lead/blood; Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Young Adult; Cohort Studies; Premenopause; Estrogens; Environmental Pollutants/blood; Bone health; Cross-sectional study; Epidemiology; Oral contraceptives; Premenopausal women; lead
PubMed ID
41015173
ePublication
ePub ahead of print
Volume
286
Issue
Pt 3
First Page
122935
