Report: the pill's health benefits appear to far outweigh its risks
Journal of the Oklahoma State Medical Association 88(1): 38
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 0030-1876 PMID: 7897551 Document Number: 473085
Dr. David Grimes, professor and vice-chair of the Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California at San Francisco, spoke to the American Medical Association's Thirteenth Annual Science Reporters Conference in Seattle on November 7, concerning the health benefits of taking oral contraceptives. The risk of getting ovarian cancer decreases the longer the pill is used; this protection lasts at least 15 years after use has ended. Women who take the pill for a decade or longer reduce their risk of developing this cancer by 80%. The pill reduces the risk of endometrial cancer by as much as 50%; the protection is strongest in those at highest risk and lasts at least 15 years after use. The pill cuts the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease in half. The danger of ectopic or tubal pregnancy is reduced by 90%. By reducing menstrual flows, oral contraceptives increase the quality of life for women and reduce the risk of iron deficiency anemia. The progestin present in oral contraceptives substantially reduces the risk of benign breast disease. Oral contraceptives may protect against toxic shock syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoporosis. A Gallup poll conducted in 1985 and early this year indicates gross misinformation and confusion about the pill among American women. While the pill should not be "pushed" on women by physicians, patients should be educated about the beneficial effects of taking the pill.