Use of oral contraceptives associated with rheumatoid arthritis in adult women

Abstract

This research aimed to determine whether oral contraceptive use is associated with rheumatoid arthritis in adult women. A case-control study was carried out on 282 women between 20 and 59 years of age -94 cases and 188 controls. 18.1% of adult women using oral contraceptives (OCs) were found to have rheumatoid arthritis (RA), whereas 42.0% had no RA. In addition, 81.9% of women with RA were found not to use OCs, and 58.0% of women without RA did not use OCs. Finding a p<0.01, OR=0.30, CI 95% from 0.17 to 0.55. In the group of women with RA, 15.96% were between 50 and 59 years old; in the case of women without RA, women between 20 and 29 years old predominated with 35.46%. The percentage of women with RA who used OCs for less than 7 years was 27.46% (p=0.92). The use of oral contraceptives is associated with rheumatoid arthritis as a protective factor; at older ages, they presented more rheumatoid arthritis using oral contraceptives for less than seven years.