WOMEN’S BODIES: ABOUT ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE PILLS
Does the Pill cause moodiness and loss of interest in sex?
It is well known that hormones can have an effect on mood. I am convinced that the regular mood swings that women describe both in natural and Pill cycles can be related partly to hormones. Many other things also affect our moods. It’s hard to know whether it’s hormones or other things happening in life that are responsible for moodiness among Pill takers, though the Pill usually gets the blame. We all experience mood changes, and most people (women and men) lose some interest in sex when they’re a bit ‘down’. Studies have shown that women who don’t take the Pill develop mood changes and loss of interest in sex as often as women who do, but if you think that your moods are worse on the Pill, consult your doctor. It may be worth trying a different type of Pill or alternative contraception.
Can the Pill cause cancer?
Expert opinion at present is that the Pill doesn’t cause any overall increase in cancer. There is good evidence that it protects against cancers of the ovary and endometrium. However, there is still some uncertainty in two areas: breast cancer and cancer of the cervix.
Breast cancer Since the question of whether the Pill causes an increased risk of developing breast cancer arose a number of years ago, researchers have turned their attention to finding an answer.
The increased risk diminishes progressively over the first ten years after a woman stops taking the Pill, and then disappears. The breast cancers diagnosed in women who were using or had used the Pill were less advanced and were less likely to have spread within or beyond the breast than those diagnosed in women who had never used the Pill. The increased risk was not related to duration of Pill use, and was no different in women from other countries or ethnic backgrounds; women with different reproductive histories; or women with a family history of breast cancer. The greatest increased risk was among Pill users who were over 40 years of age.
Cancer of the cervix Some studies reported that women who take oral contraceptives have a slightly higher rate of atypical Pap smears than women who don’t. The most recently published report of the Oxford Family Planning Study, which has followed 17 000 women using OCs, IUDs, diaphragms or condoms since 1974, found no significant association between Pill use and atypical Pap smears. The study suggests that if long-term use of the Pill is a factor in the development of cervical cancer it must be a weak one and there is no evidence that it is causative. The report reinforces the need for all women to have regular two-yearly Pap smears, especially those who have used the Pill for more than five years.
How does a doctor know which Pill to prescribe?
A woman’s health history rarely indicates which Pill might suit her best. In fact, most women would fare quite well on any of the Pills available at present. It’s usually recommended that women take the lowest-dose Pill that suits them. If you develop side-effects that indicate that this dose is not enough or that the progestogen in the Pill doesn’t agree with you, a different dose or type of Pill will be tried.
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