The Use and Abuse of Oral Contraceptive Pills Among Males: A Mixed-Method Explanatory Sequential Study Over Jordanian Community Pharmacists

    March 2021 in “ medRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) ”
    Muna Barakat, Al-Qudah Ra, Amal Akour, Mona Abu-Asal, Samar Thiab, Dallal Bashi Yh
    TLDR Many males in Jordan misuse oral contraceptive pills for hair growth, muscle gain, and acne treatment.
    The study investigated the use and abuse of oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) among Jordanian males, based on observations from community pharmacists. Utilizing a mixed-method approach, the research included 158 questionnaire responses and 22 interviews with pharmacists. The results showed that 48.4% of the questionnaire respondents acknowledged that males used OCPs for purposes such as hair growth enhancement (12.7%), muscle gain (31.7%), and acne treatment (4.4%). Interviews revealed that many males were using OCPs for bodybuilding, often following advice from gym coaches. The most commonly abused OCPs contained estrogen (Ethinyl estradiol) and progestins (Drospirenone or Levonorgestrel). The study concluded that there is a significant misuse of OCPs by males in Jordan for non-contraceptive purposes, and emphasized the important role of community pharmacists in managing this issue. It also suggested that stricter regulations and monitoring are needed to curb such practices.
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