Certain contraceptives may pose risk of Type 2 diabetes for obese women

A first-of-its-kind study by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California has indicated that healthy, obese, reproductive-age women who use long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) containing the hormone progestin have a slightly increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes when compared to women who use non-hormonal contraception.

The researchers concluded that progestin-releasing LARC appeared to be safe for use by such women but needs further investigation.

Nicole Bender, assistant professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at the Keck School, was the principal investigator for the study, which appeared online in the journal Contraception in January.

''Contraceptive studies often only look at normal-weight women,'' said Penina Segall-Gutierrez, co-investigator of the study and assistant professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology and family medicine at the Keck School.

''Studies such as this are necessary because, today, one-third of women in the US are overweight and one-third are obese. All women, including overweight and obese women, need to have access to safe and effective contraception.''

Obese women are at increased risk for pregnancy-related complications and are sometimes warned by their doctors not to use contraceptives containing estrogen, such as the pill, patch and vaginal ring.