Hormonal Contraceptive Use and Violent Offending: Exploring the Association in a Nested Case-Control Study

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Abstract

Background and aims: Elevated risks of self-harm and violent death have been associated with hormonal contraceptive (HC) use, but little is known about the risk of violent criminality. We studied the association between HC use and violent offending, and the moderating effects of alcohol-related disorders and criminal history.

Methods: In a register-based nested case-control study, we studied Finnish women aged 15–49 with violent criminal convictions during July 2017–December 2019 (n=1249) and age-matched controls (n=6241). We conducted conditional logistic regression analyses adjusted for marital status, SES, alcohol-related diagnoses and psychotropic medication use, and stratified by violent convictions before follow-up.

Results: HC use in 2017 was not associated with violent criminality in women without criminal history. In women with prior violent convictions, HC use was associated with a reduced risk of violent crimes (OR=.21, 95% CI: .07-.59). Alcohol-related diagnoses were strongly associated with violent convictions in women without (OR=18.9, 95% CI: 13.8-25.9) and with criminal history (OR=4.82, 95% CI: 3.57-6.50) but there was no interaction with HC use.

Conclusions: HC use is not associated with violent criminality among women without prior history of violent offending. The reduced risk among women with violent history may indicate a stabilized life situation.

Authors

• Antti Latvala, University of Helsinki

• Elena Toffol, University of Helsinki

• Timo Partonen, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare

• Anna But, University of Helsinki

• Oskari Heikinheimo, University of Helsinki

• Jari Haukka, University of Helsinki