World Contraception Day was celebrated a couple of months ago (September 26) but some questions linger, regarding the use and safety of contraceptives. World Contraception Day is commemorated each year to acknowledge and support the use of contraceptives with regard to healthy family planning. However, are contraceptives really something to celebrate? We have been told by our doctors that birth control pills are safe, and won’t do the body any harm, but according to the many horrific stories told by some women who have used one brand or the other, one has to wonder. Are doctors really telling us the truth?

The Pill
Since the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved “the pill” in 1960, it has become the most popular form of birth control couples rely on. Unlike the original birth control pill, today’s pills include less estrogen, resulting in fewer side effects. However, side effects do still exist. In a telephone interview with nurse Anna Maynard of the National Family Planning Association (FPA) in Trinidad, she indicated the association only carries five types of oral contraceptives, two of which contain no estrogen and only progestin (which can be used whilst breast-feeding.) She said the Association always advises persons planning to use the pill to take a thorough check-up. “It is important people know the status of their health before taking the pill, especially people with kidney, heart, or blood disorders,” she admonished.

Know your pill
Common side effects of some oral contraceptives include dryness of the vagina, weight gain, depression and leukorrhea (increased vaginal secretions.) In high-dose formulations, one may experience nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure and melasma (skin discolouration.) In more serious cases, some women have been known to develop breast or liver cancer, migraine headaches, blood clots and even strokes (this is more prevalent in women 35 and over who smoke.)

Other uses
Adolescent girls and young women are frequently prescribed oral contraceptive pills for irregular menstrual periods, menstrual cramps, acne, PMS, endometriosis, and hormone replacement therapy. However, this too has been known to cause negative side effects in a few cases.

Are there actual health benefits?
According to international studies, some birth control pills actually have some health benefits. They include the following:
• regulation of menstrual periods
• decrease in menstrual cramps
• treatment for acne
• treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• lowers risk of anemia
• lowers risk for some cancers
• protects against Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
• lowers risk of pregnancy outside of the uterus

Can the pill really cause cancer?
Dr Andrew Jones of the Women’s Health Institute of Texas posted on the Web site, www.ditchthepill.org:
“Birth control pills are indeed very effective at contraception. But the downside is they’re extremely hazardous. “Since the introduction of the pill, there’s been an explosion of women’s diseases and maladies in a scope never experienced before in the history of medicine.”

They are:
• Migraine headaches
• PMS
• Breast Cancer
• Heart Disease
• Heart Attacks
• Strokes
• Blood Clots
• High Blood Pressure
• Uterine Cancer
• Infertility
• Depression
• Postpartum Depression
• Uterine Fibroids
• Unnecessary Hysterectomies
• Anxiety Disorders

Dr Jones also said he expects ovarian cancer and Alzheimer’s dementia to join the list soon. He said doctors, despite evidence to the contrary, are inclined to only describe the “wonderful benefits” of using the pill. For more info visit www.ditchthepill.org

Another perspective....
Local obstetrician, gynaecologist, Dr Morris, stated that for the average healthy woman, the pill is absolutely safe to use. But he also emphasised that a woman must let her doctor know if she is on the pill or, if she decides to start, she must inform him or her of the brand to ensure that it is safe for her, according to the status of her health. He added that women should not go running scared after hearing one or two negative experiences with birth control pills.

Get the right information
Asked about birth control and its link to cancer, Morris said: “If you want to get balanced information on any medical issue, you should visit a Web site of a national society rather than going on what an individual or a small group of people think or might have experienced.” Morris said for the average healthy woman, the harmful effect of birth control pills are less than what you would experience from a normal pregnancy.