# Influence of synthetic sex hormones on alcohol effects and consumption in women

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO · 2020 · $229,856

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
There is ample preclinical evidence showing that ovarian hormones influence the neurobiological systems that
mediate drug and alcohol reward which may contribute to the enhanced vulnerability of women to AUD; studies
show that estrogen promotes and progesterone opposes alcohol reward. Yet, there is little conclusive empirical
data from controlled human studies of alcohol effects and consumption in naturally-cycling women. Consequently,
our understanding of how to prevent and better treat AUD among women is compromised, and new research
approaches are needed. Recent findings suggest that periods of high hormonal flux during the menstrual cycle are
associated with increased binge drinking. Oral contraceptives (OC) are medications containing synthetic ovarian
hormones that suppress menstrual cycle-related fluctuations in endogenous hormones. So, endogenous estrogen
and progesterone, and exogenous estradiol remain low across the cycle while synthetic progestins are high and
stable. Studies of alcohol effects and consumption among women using OC in comparison to naturally cycling
women will advance our understanding of how ovarian hormones influence AUD because there is greater power to
detect effects of ovarian hormones against a background of low variability, and we can also compare relative
hormone stability vs. variation. The long-term goal of this research is to better understand how ovarian hormones
influence alcohol use, abuse, and the course of AUD among women. The objective of the proposed research is to
determine how OC influence alcohol effects and consumption using controlled laboratory procedures. The working
hypothesis is that synthetic progestins in oral contraceptives mimic the effects of natural progesterone thereby
attenuating the rewarding and motivational effects of alcohol, and alcohol consumption. The rationale is that
determining the influence of synthetic ovarian hormones (OC) on alcohol effects will provide a strong framework
to pursue novel women-focused prevention and treatment approaches. The hypothesis will be tested by two
specific aims; 1) Determine the influence of oral contraceptives on dose-dependent effects of alcohol, and alcohol
self-administration using controlled human laboratory procedures, and 2) Determine the relationship between
circulating levels of natural and synthetic ovarian hormones and alcohol effects and consumption. This plan of
research is innovative because it will shift the focus of research on the effects of ovarian hormones on alcohol
responses and consumption from endogenous to exogenous hormones. This will also be the first controlled study
of alcohol effects and consumption among women using OC. The project is significant because it will substantially
advance our understanding of how ovarian hormones influence alcohol effects and drinking, an important factor
that contributes to sex differences in AUD. The findings will be clinically significant as they apply to a lar...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10072969
- **Project number:** 1R21AA028736-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO
- **Principal Investigator:** EMMA CHILDS
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $229,856
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-08-20 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10072969

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10072969, Influence of synthetic sex hormones on alcohol effects and consumption in women (1R21AA028736-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10072969. Licensed CC0.

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