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Acoustic measures of vocal stability during different speech tasks in young women using oral contraceptives: a retrospective study

Objectives To compare objective voice measures of vocal stability during different speech tasks in women taking oral contraceptives to those in women not taking oral contraceptives. Methods Voice recordings obtained from 28 women, aged 20-30 years old, were used for the study. Eighteen of the women were taking some form of oral contraception at the time of the recording (OC women); ten women were not taking any oral contraceptive medication (NOC women). Measures related to pitch, vocal stability, and loudness were obtained from sustained vowel and paragraph reading tasks. Results The OC women demonstrated significantly higher pitch levels but lower values related to measures of vocal stability. Conclusions The use of oral contraceptives appears to exert a positive influence upon vocal fold function. Women taking oral contraceptives demonstrate higher pitch levels and greater stability during phonation than do women not taking oral contraceptives. This improvement in vocal function is contributed to the more stable hormonal environment that occurs with the use of oral contraceptives.