Contraception Misconceptions | Lee Magazine

Sort fact from falsehood when you consider The Pill

The Pill: True or False?

The combination estrogen-progesterone oral contraceptive, commonly called ?The Pill,? is the most widely prescribed contraceptive in the United States. Since its approval by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration in 1957 ? initially for severe menstrual disorders, not birth control ? there have been many popular misconceptions about The Pill.

Misconception #1: The Pill causes cancer.

FALSE

The widely used low-dose oral contraceptive is actually associated with some decreased cancer risk. For every year a woman takes oral contraceptives, there is an associated decline in the risk of ovarian cancer and uterine cancer. Once a woman has taken the pill for four years, her chances of developing ovarian cancer decrease by forty-five percent. At ten years of use, her risk of endometrial cancer drops to almost zero. When you look at breast cancer alone, there are no significant data associating long-term oral contraceptive use with either an increased breast cancer risk or a decreased risk.

Misconception?#2:?The Pill causes infertility.

FALSE

Many young women hesitate to take oral contraceptives because they fear it will hamper their chance of pregnancy later in life. That is not the case. Using the pill can actually preserve fertility by reducing the risk of certain infections. Because he pill reduces the volume of menstrual flow and decreases the amount of time the cervix is open, there is less time for bacteria to enter the uterus. That associates with lower incidence of pelvic inflammatory disease, a source of infertility. The pill suppresses endometriosis, in which cells of the uterine lining end up in the abdomen. Thus there is less inflammation from endometriosis, so less endometriosis-related infertility.

Misconception #3:?The Pill is associated with an increase in the risk of deep venous thrombosis ? blood clots in the legs.

TRUE, but ?

One of the most common concerns with oral contraceptives is the risk of deep venous thrombosis ? blood clots in the legs that can block blood flow. When a clot breaks off it can form life-threatening blockages elsewhere in the body, such as the brain, lungs, and heart. Starting any hormone medication causes a temporary increase in the proteins that produce clotting. But that risk is small ? about one in ten thousand. Most of the women who develop deep vein thrombosis ? often referred to as DVT ? have a genetic predisposition caused by a deficiency in the proteins that would protect them.

If you can, find out if any of the women in your family had a problem with deep vein thrombosis in pregnancy or when taking hormones. Such a history suggests the need for a test to see if you?re missing the proteins that make you vulnerable to DVTs.

But there is a balance to strike here, even among women with a family history of these clots: Deep vein thrombosis are also more likely during pregnancy and delivery, and research shows as many as twelve DVT incidents for every ten thousand women. The risk remains elevated until six weeks after deliver. So women worried about DVT may be better served by decreasing their risk of unplanned pregnancy and being aware of their personal risk.

Source: http://leemagazine.com/health/contraception-misconceptions/

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