Time to end bias against the pill
Potts, M.
Entre Nous 20: 10-11
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 1014-8485 PMID: 12222224 Document Number: 321741
The low dose oral contraceptive (OC) is the only drug which extends life and prevents ovarian and uterine cancer. The longer a woman uses it the greater the protective effect against these cancers. Yet women tend to avoid using it because of perceived side effects. The only country where it is considered safe is the Netherlands. The 1st OCs did cause considerable side effects, however, because of the high dose of hormones. Today's low dose OCs have not overcome the biases against these high dose OCs. Low dose OCs do not pose the myocardial infarct and stroke risks that the high dose OCs did. In fact, the US Food and Drug Administration advises low dose OCs as a safe contraceptive for 35-year old nonsmoking women. The elevated risks of cardiovascular disease in the high dose OCs are quite modest (reduction of life expectancy by several 10s of days) compared with the risk of smoking 1-2 packs of cigarettes a day (reduction of life expectancy by 4.5 years). A media review indicates many more negative than positive stories about OCs. In addition, people are more likely to overestimate risks in areas they perceive to be out of their control (e.g., using OCs). Data still do not provide a definitive answer on OCs role in breast cancer development, however. Nevertheless when examining OC use in 60-year old women with and without breast cancer, breast cancer rates are basically the same. A meta-analysis of OC use and breast cancer indicates a slight increase in breast cancer in 35-40 year old women, but a slight deficit of breast cancer cases in 40-45 year old women. The US National Institutes of Health plan on a new series of OC use and breast cancer studies.