Prevalence of hormonal contraceptive use and reported side effects of the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptive use in powerlifting and rugby.

A large proportion of HC users and nonusers in this study experience negative side effects of HC use and the menstrual cycle, respectively. The symptoms experienced by both groups are wide-ranging, with a high degree of variation between individuals. The negative side-effects experienced by HC users and nonusers may have an influence on athletic performance, and this requires future investigation.