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Some scientists have shown that the oral contraceptive pill can cause breast cancer and heart disease. But no one is really quite sure about the negative side effects of the pill. Experts are sure that the pill can even prevent some forms of cancer. Studies have shown that users will be more protected from cancer of the ovaries than women who do not take the pill. And the protection lasts even after one stops taking the pill. Through the chemical hormones estrogen and progestogen, the pill sends a message to the ovaries not to produce an egg. When a woman is on the pill, her ovaries get a rest. For that reason, there is less chance for problems like cancer to develop. Also, a woman who takes the pill will be more protected from cancer of the endometrium, because the pill causes her to have lighter periods. In addition, with lighter periods, she will probably have less painful periods, too. Taking the pill also will decrease the risk for getting ovary and breast cysts. Pill users have less chance of developing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which, if left untreated, can cause damage to the reproductive organs. The best way to ease any concerns about taking the pill is to talk with health care providers about all the issues of birth control pills and other contraception.
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PMID:There's good news about birth control pills. 1228 49

Oral contraceptives (OCs) remain the leading choice of reversible contraception for American women. In the 1999 Contraceptive Technology Update Contraceptive survey, more than 60% of the providers say that 50 or more women leave their offices each month with pill prescriptions in hand. Of the available OCs in the market, a 20-mcg Alesse pill and 20- and 30-mcg Loestrin pills are the top choices among older nonsmoking women because they help them through the perimenopausal stage. Among younger nonsmoking women, the 35-mcg Ortho Tri-Cyclen pill is the top choice because it is effective, leads to few complications and side effects, and has easy-to-use packaging. Research has established that OCs protect women against dysmenorrhea and menorrhagia, menstrual cycle irregularities, iron deficiency anemia, ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease, ovarian cysts, benign breast cancer disease, endometrial cancer, and ovarian cancer. Aside from the noncontraceptive health benefits, OCs have proven valuable in the management of a variety of gynecologic disorders. Providers are moving toward prescription of OCs specifically for noncontraceptive benefits, but respondents are still unwilling to see OCs offered as over-the-counter drugs.
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PMID:Pills remain the top choice among reversible contraceptive options. 1229 Mar 80

New types of contraception approved for use in the US include two long-lasting, hormone-based contraceptives, Depo-Provera and Norplant, and the female condom. The female condom is made of polyurethane, which is thinner, stronger, and a better conductor of heat than latex. Its inner ring fits over the cervix and the outer ring protects the labia and the base of the penis. Its typical-use and perfect-use failure rates are 21-26% and around 5%, respectively. One injection of Depo-Provera blocks ovulation for 3 months. Irregular periods are common with Depo-Provera use. Fertility may not return for 6-12 months after discontinuation. Depo-Provera may protect against endometrial cancer. The 6-capsule system Norplant is inserted subdermally in the arm and releases levonorgestrel for up to 5 years. Since its arrival on the US market, more than 900,000 women have used Norplant. Contraindications to Norplant are liver disease, blood clots, inflammation of the veins, history of breast cancer, or breast feeding in the first 6 weeks postpartum. More than 600,000 US women undergo sterilization annually. 25% of all heterosexually active, fertile women of reproductive age and 60% of these women ages 35-44 have had a tubal ligation. Vasectomy is less risky than tubal ligation. Both vasectomy and tubal sterilization are more than 99% effective. Oral contraceptives (OCs) suppress ovulation. 28% of US women of reproductive age use OCs. OCs are more than 99% effective. OCs appear to increase the risk of blood clots, heart attack, and stroke for smokers over 35. Health benefits of OCs include protection against ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, pelvic inflammatory disease, ovarian cysts, and benign breast tumors. Barrier methods keep sperm from joining the egg. Latex condoms protect against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). IUDs interfere with sperm transport and egg fertilization. In the US, there is a perception that IUD use is unsafe. Women with new or multiple partners should use condoms to protect against STDs.
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PMID:Choosing a contraceptive. What's best for you? 1229 May 58

Among 30-40 year old women, 40% of pregnancies are unplanned, which is indicative of the unreliability of the birth control methods they are using. The 1992 Ortho Birth Control Study interviewed almost 7000 women, of whom 8% listed withdrawal and 4% listed the rhythm method. These two methods have failure rates of 24% and 19%, respectively. Birth control methods often disappoint the users and increasingly they turn to sterilization. 48% of married women aged 15-44 had themselves been sterilized or had a sterilized partner in the Ortho survey. Although reversal of tubal ligation succeeds in 43-88% of cases, conception cannot be guaranteed. For women over the age of 30 who are healthy and do not smoke, low-estrogen or no-estrogen oral contraceptive pills are considered safe. Taking the pill also helps prevent ovarian and endometrial cancer. The failure rate is 6%. Barrier methods also offer protection from sexually transmitted diseases including HIV. Condoms are favored by 33% of unmarried women and 19% of married women. Sexually active 40-44 year old unmarried women run a 14-19% risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease (STD) in a 12-month period. Diaphragms offer some protection against STDs, but their failure rate is 18%. IUDs are regaining popularity, but only 1% of women use them (ParaGard T380A or Progestasert). Pelvic inflammatory disease is the reason: a 1992 study showed that 0.97% of women developed it within 20 days of use. Norplant is a long-term implant containing levonorgestrel with a failure rate of 0.5%. A 1993 study followed 1253 implant users over 12 months and found a very low rate of pregnancy, but 75% experienced some side effects during the first year. About half of the women using Norplant removed it after 2.5 years because of irregular bleeding. Depo-Provera is an injectable administered every 3 months, but after removal it can take up to a year for ovulation to return. Side effects may include hair loss and weight gain; and links to breast cancer have also been suggested.
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PMID:Birth control over 30. 1229 85

Numerous non-contraceptive benefits of combined oral contraceptive (OC) use have been identified. The risk of endometrial cancer is reduced by 20% after 1 year of use, 50% after 4 years of use, and 71% after 12 years of use compared with the risk among non-users and this protective effect persists up to 15 years after OC discontinuation. There is a 30% overall reduction in ovarian cancer risk (50% after 5 years of OC use) and the protective effect lasts at least 10 years after ending pill use. For cervical cancer, OC use is associated with a slight increase in risk, although other causative factors may be implicated. The risk of follicular ovarian cysts is reduced by about 50%, while that of cysts from the corpus luteum declines by as much as 80%. Combined OCs also reduce the risk of fibrocystic breast disease and fibroadenomas by about 25%. Both low- and high-dose OCs reduce pelvic inflammatory disease by up to 50% and, if OC users do develop this infection, it is generally less severe than in non-users. Also recorded has been a 90% reduction in risk of ectopic pregnancy. Since OCs shorten the menstrual period and amount of blood loss, they protect against iron-deficiency anemia. Finally, OC users have a 60% reduced risk of dysmenorrhea.
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PMID:Non-contraceptive benefits of oral contraceptives. 1229

Oral contraceptive (OC) labeling disclosure of possible benefits from use of the products, was recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Fertility and Maternal Health Drugs Advisory Committee at its February 11 meeting. Committee member Howard Orr, Centers for Disease Control, noting the emphasis on cautionary and warning statements contained in current OC labeling maintained: "Women should make informed decisions and this is the other half. The package insert must include the benefits information." The recommendation by the committee represents a shift in the approach to what constitutes proper labeling for OC products. Since first approved, the drugs have never carried a discussion of benefits on their labels. "A number of additional benefits from OCs--other than contraception--have emerged from the large number of studies recorded in the literature on OC use," Ron Nelson, White Memorial Medical Center, stated. "Studies cited a more regular and lighter menstrual flow, resulting in less blood loss and lower iron deficiency and anemia in contraceptive pill users, and dysmenorrhea and premenstrual tension have been sifnificantly reduced." "Ovarian cysts and pelvic inflammatory disease occurred less frequently in pill users than in controls," Nelson continued, "and the incidence of fibrocystic disease of the breast were less. There are some instances where OCs may incur protection against the development of ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis." Orr added: "I think there are 2 good studies that show almost a total elimination of ectopic pregnancy with women who took the pill. Given that now there's an epidemic of the disease going around, I think it's worth adding." The committee was asked by FDA last November to recommend changes in the current physician and patient OC labeling. FDA's Solomon Sobel, MD, Endocrine and Metabolic Drugs Division, told the committee that an agency subcommittee would review the recommendations, present them to the committee in May for final comment, then publish them in the Federal Register.
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PMID:Oral contraceptive labeling disclosure of possible benefits. 1231 62

Progestins in oral contraceptives (OCs) produce potential complications, as well as noncontraceptive benefits, according to Robert A. Hatcher, MD, MPH, professor of gynecology and obstetrics, Emory University Medical School. Hatcher told CTU that lowering the progestin content in an OC may decrease complications, but could also decrease the benefits experienced by women. "The extent to which that will happen remains to be seen," he said. Hatcher cited the following potential complications of progestins in OC: hypertension; decreased levels of high density lipoproteins; acne; oily skin; headaches between pill cycles; dilated leg veins; pelvic congestion syndrome; thrombosis of superficial leg veins; gallstones; Monilia vaginitis; cholestatic jaundice; and depression, fatigue, and decreased libido. Progestins, according to Hatcher, also produce these noncontraceptive benefits: protection against PID; decreased dysmenorrhea; decreased menstrual blood loss, decreased iron deficiency anemia; protection against endometrial cancer; protection against fibrocystic breast disease, and fibroadenomas of the breast; decreased bleeding from fibroids; decreased growth of fibroids. When ovulation is suppressed, Hatcher emphasized, additional benefits that may occur include the following: decreased risk of functional ovarian cysts; elimination of mittleschmerz pain; decreased rick of ovarian cancer; protection against endometriosis.
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PMID:Potential risks, benefits of progestins in birth control pills outlined. 1231 83

The use of oral contraceptives (OC) by an estimated 150 million women worldwide has prompted concern about their potential risks. But, there are also health conditions--medical and surgical disorders, reproductive tract cancers, and menstruation disorders--that oral contraceptives affect beneficially. OC users have a lower risk of iron deficiency anemia, an important consideration for nutritionally deficient women. The risk of developing pelvic inflammatory disease is also decreased in OC users, as is the risk of ectopic pregnancy. This is important for women in developing countries, where access to medical services for a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy might be limited. Using OCs lowers the incidence of surgery for benign breast disease, the incidence of retention cysts of the ovary, the risk of endometrial cancer, the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer, and relieves symptoms of dysmenorrhea and premenstrual syndrome. The risks associated with OC use, including stroke and heart attack, vary among age groups, smoking status, and other cardiovascular risk factors. For example, elevated serum cholesterol is lower among women in developing countries, so the associated risk of heart attack is lower for these women. Other complications associated with OC use are deep-vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, gallbladder disease, and hepatic adenoma. There is controversy about whether OC use increases the risk of cervical neoplasia. Studies that have attempted to define this risk are subject to methodological problems, in that increased surveillance of OC users results in a higher rate of detection. Some controversy exists about OC use and an increased risk of breast cancer, but no definitive results are available. Although the risks associated with OC use can be serious, these risks are only slightly higher among OC users compared with non-users. The benefits, such as reduced risk of serious diseases and gynecological disorders, seem to outweigh the risks, pointing to the need for accurate communication between health professionals and the women they advise about contraceptive choices.
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PMID:Beyond contraception: the health benefits and risks of the pill. 1231 33

This report summarizes a meeting of the IPPF International Medical Advisory Panel (IMAP) held in November, 1986, at which information on steroidal oral contraception (OC), Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), and female sterility were discussed. Regarding the multiphasic OC now in use, the benefits to health and well-being outweigh the possible side-effects and infrequent complications. Use is associated with a lower incidence of pelvic inflammatory disease, 96-98% effective prevention of pregnancy, a protective effect against ovarian and endometrial cancer, and regulation of erratic menstrual cycles. Minor side effects include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, fluid retention, and inter-menstrual spotting. Adverse effects are circulatory system disease, myocardial infarction, venous thromboembolism, elevated blood pressure, and liver disease. Data on possible carcinogenicity have been conflicting. For women over age 40 OCs should be prescribed with caution. IMAP also drew up recommendations to assist FPAs to play a more active role in controlling the spread of AIDS. An effective program of Information and Education is of primary importance, targeting family planning workers and clients, teachers, parents, and employers. Wide promotion of condom use is a priority. Studies in Africa have revealed a major epidemic of AIDS, with the major mode of transmission heterosexual. The only immediate practical step in prevention of spread is by changes in sexual behavior. The last topic discussed is that of sterility in African women. The naturally occurring level of infertility expected in all populations of women is 3%; high levels in Africa vary by region from 3-32%. These levels of sterility are acquired through infection with Neisseria gonorrheae and Chlamydia trachomatis. Silent infection of women with Chlamydia make treatment especially difficult.
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PMID:Statement on steroidal oral contraception. 1234 Sep 76

Modern medicine 1st made the oral contraceptive (OC), a combined OC, available to women in 1960, and much progress in improving OCs and reducing risks associated with them has occurred. Approximately 200 million women have used OCs worldwide and about 60 million women are currently using this contraceptive method. OCs are efficacious because the hormones in the OCs alter the physiology of the hypothalamo-pituitary-ovarian/uterine axis at 6 sites, e.g., altering the endometrium so implantation of the blastocyst cannot occur. Despite the effectiveness of OCs (virtually 100% effective) in comparison with other contraceptive methods, they often cause side effects and complications. Some side effects and complications from estrogen and predominantly estrogen OCs include vomiting, hypertension, and venous thrombosis/pulmonary embolism. Possible progestogen and predominatly progestogen OC side effects and complications are leucorrhea, urinary tract infections, epilepsy aggravation, and cholestatic jaundice. In addition, pregnancy, venous thromboembolism, heart disease, and malignancies of the breast and genital tract are absolute contraindications to OCs. On the other hand, OCs provide health benefits, in addition to preventing unwanted pregnancies, such as lowered incidence of pelvic inflammatory disease, acne improvement, and protection against endometrial carcinoma and ovarian epithelial neoplasia. In order to ensure that health benefits of OCs are maximized and the risks minimized, family planning practitioners worldwide must monitor OC users for side effects. Recent OC formulations now include the progestogen only OCs, multiphase OCs, low dose OC called gestodene, and the "morning after pill".
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PMID:Oral steroidal contraception: scientific basis and recent development. 1234 71


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