Contraceptives And Fertility
How Your Contraceptive May Risk Your Fertility And Even Your Life
Jul 13, 2007
According to a World Health Organization press release, number 167, dated 29 July 2005, hormonal contraceptives containing estrogen and progestogen are carcinogenic to humans. That is, they are capable of causing cancer.
The working group for the International Agency For Research On Cancer, part of the World Health Organization (WHO), concluded that oral contraceptives cause breast cancer, liver cancer and cervical cancer. Aside from the obvious risk to life, these cancers can have the side-effect of secondary infertility, pregnancies which fail to go to full term due to weakened cervix and failure to breast feed due to breast cancer.
Liver failure has also been identified as a risk with these contraceptives.
According to the report, it has taken up to ten years after the cessation of oral contraceptives, for the risks to decrease to levels of those in populations who do not use hormonal contraceptives.
These new IARC Monographs address exposures that are experienced daily by many millions of women world-wide," said Dr Peter Boyle, Director of IARC. "It is of enormous public health importance that we identify and understand the full range of effects of these products. Worldwide, more than 100 million women – about 10% of all women of reproductive age – currently use combined hormonal contraceptives.'
Since 'the pill' is so widely used, its potential risk to health and fertility should be discussed prior to the woman using it. Would she choose another method of contraception if she knew that she could get cervical cancer and maybe permanently end her fertility?
Warning labels should be placed on all packets and new guidelines issued on oral contraception, fertility and cancer. They should only be used under strict medical supervision.
Luckily, the pill has not been associated with primary infertility. Most women get pregnant fairly quickly after they stop taking it, although it can take up to six months for their periods to return. This is known as Post-Birth Control Pill Syndrome. It is temporary and is usually fixed by just waiting for the normal cycle to resume.
More details of this research was published in the August 2005 edition of the Lancet Oncology:
http://oncology.thelancet.com/
Hormone replacement therapies, sometimes used in IVF (for instance, to treat premature menopause) have also been found to increase the risk of cancers.
Previously, combined menopausal therapy was regarded as "possibly carcinogenic to humans." The new evaluation concluded, based on an expanded study base, that it is carcinogenic to humans, increasing a woman's risk of breast cancer and, when progestogens are taken fewer than 10 days per month, endometrial cancer.
For more information on the pill and cancers, go to:
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