Weighing pros and cons of ‘the Pill’

Weighing pros and cons of ‘the Pill’


A recent Danish study linked hormonal birth control to an increased risk of breast cancer. You may have heard about the study, as it made big headlines nationwide, making women worry their pill, patch or IUD could cause harm. However, before discontinuing your birth control, it’s important to understand the risk uncovered by the study and put it in perspective.

The study followed 1.8 million women of all ages in Denmark for more than a decade. According to the researchers, for every 100,000 women, hormonal contraceptive use caused 13 additional breast cancer cases each year. The study did not account for other factors that could also be associated with breast cancer, including alcohol use, genetics and physical activity. This link between breast cancer and hormonal birth control is considered an association, not cause-and-effect. When you factor in the age of women, the risk of breast cancer decreased drastically.

Gynecologists say women under 35 do not need to worry about the findings, as the risk of developing breast cancer from use of hormonal birth control is small. Before ditching the pill, it’s important for women to weigh the benefits and the risks of hormonal contraceptives. Among its benefits, hormonal birth control is linked to lower rates of ovarian, endometrial and colorectal cancers. It also reduces acne, regulates menstrual cramps, alleviates pain and allows women to plan and prevent pregnancies.

If you’re worried about the possible health impacts of this form of contraception, talk to your health care provider. Based on your personal medical history, he or she can work with you to determine if a non-hormonal birth control method would be better.

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