Background: Reproductive-aged females are particularly at risk of developing iron deficiency, partly due to menstrual blood losses. Hormonal contraceptives (HC) may reduce menstrual blood volume and frequency and potentially reduce iron deficiency risk. However, low meat consumption and excess body fat may increase iron deficiency risk through lowered absorption or utilisation of dietary iron by the body. Objective: To determine whether menstrual frequency and hormonal contraceptive practices differed between BMI category and regularity of meat consumption in female university students. Design: A 20 item questionnaire was conducted in female Griffith University, Gold Coast students aged = 25 years. All measures were self-report, including height and weight. Students were randomly selected from classes available on campus. Descriptive and chi-square analyses were conducted. Outcomes: Two thirds (66.5%, 547/822) of respondents were on HCs. Over half of respondents (52.6%) ate red meat less than twice weekly (low meat) or were vegetarian (V) (low meat & V=448/850, low meat=398, V=50). Over half of respondents (54.9%, 449/818) were healthy weight, 10.4% overweight and 4.2% obese or morbidly obese. There was no association between menstrual frequency or HC use and BMI or lowered meat consumption (p>0.05). However obese respondents were less likely to be using HCs (?2=8.929, p=0.030), and more likely to have been pregnant (?2=6.867, p=0.009) and donated blood (?2=9.405, p=0.024). Conclusion: While HC use is commonplace amongst young female university students, young females with lifestyles that may increase their iron deficiency risk may not be more likely to reduce menstrual volume or frequency and subsequent iron loss through HC use.