According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly two-thirds of all American girls and women currently use birth control, with the second most common method of birth control being the birth control pill. Of course, preventing unwanted pregnancy is not the only reason women and girls are prescribed oral contraceptive pills.
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) notes that birth control pills are often prescribed to treat heavy, painful, and/or irregular periods, manage endometriosis, and improve problems such as hair loss, excessive hair growth, acne, and severe premenstrual symptoms. syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). But recent research have raised an important question: are the benefits of birth control pills really worth the risks for some women?
New UK study finds 30% higher breast cancer risk associated with birth control pills
A group of researchers from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom recently published the results of their case-control study and meta-analysis, which looked at the effects of combined (estrogen-progesterone) and progesterone-only pills on breast cancer risk in women.
Their study, published in March 2023 in the journal PLOS Medicine, found that women who use oral contraceptives have a 20 to 30 percent higher risk of breast cancer compared to women who do not use them. These 30% increased risk is relative. Fortunately, the absolute excess risk is not that alarming. Combining their data with research from previous studies, the authors found that the absolute increased risk of developing breast cancer over a 15-year period was 8 per 100,000 among women who used the pill aged 16 to 20 years (incidence of 0.093% in comparison). to 0.084% in pill users) and 265 per 100,000 among pill-using women aged 35 to 39 years (incidence of 2.2% compared with 2.0% in non-pill users).
Of course, while the absolute risk appears to be small, this still means that some women in this country will one day be diagnosed with breast cancer, possibly due to prior use of oral contraceptives – a harsh reality for many families. But the authors add that the breast cancer risk associated with birth control pills "must be viewed in the context of the well-established benefits of contraceptive use in women's reproductive years," noting that the risk of breast cancer also increases with age. In addition, a contraceptive pill user's increased risk of breast cancer, however small, gradually declines after she stops taking the pill.
Here are some other possible risks and side effects of birth control pills that you should know about
If you are a woman or if you have a daughter who has taken the pill, ask yourself: did the doctor who prescribed the medicine go through the potential side effects with you first? As with any medication or medical intervention, you deserve to be fully informed so that you can decide whether said intervention is right for you or your child.
In case you were wondering, these are just some of the known adverse effects and risk factors associated with oral contraceptives, according to the National Library of Medicine: Breakthrough bleeding, Nausea, Headaches, Abdominal cramps, Increased vaginal discharge, Decreased sex drive Breast tenderness, Increased risk of stroke, heart attack and venous thrombotic events, Hypertension, Decreased acquisition of bone mineral density, Glucose metabolism disorder (especially during the first six months of use).
Of course, it's important to remember that the specific risks of taking the pill vary depending on factors such as an individual's health status (e.g. whether they smoke or have chronic diseases such as diabetes or high blood pressure) and the type of pill they are taking . Also, you should know that maybe not all is bad when it comes to oral contraceptives. The ASRM claims that girls and women “who used birth control pills were found to have fewer cases of anemia (low red blood cell count), ovarian cancer, and uterine cancer. These beneficial effects occur because the birth control pill works by reducing the number of ovulations, the amount of menstrual blood, and the frequency of periods."
Sources for this article include:
PLOS.org
reproductivefacts.org
Theguardian.com
Thegatewaypundit.com
CDC.gov
NIH.gov
NHSinform.scot
