Is It True That Birth Control Increases Your Chances of Cancer (Ovarian, Cervical, Etc Cancers)?
I’ve always had very painful cramps that interfere with my life, so I’m considering birth control.
My sister says that I shouldn’t because the women’s body naturally goes through menstruation, and stopping the body from doing so is potentially harmful and causes cancer.
Her explanation does make sense to me, but is it true?
I know that there are different types of birth control. Which is the least detrimental?
It is actually the opposite. Birth control has been shown in multiple studies to decrease the chance of getting ovarian and uterine cancer. Birth control users have lighter periods and less cramping. The pill is very safe. I would talk to your doctor about what type of pill is best for you.
This site has a list of pill suggestions for each problem.
http://www.wdxcyber.com/ncontr13.htm
For severe cramps they recommend a higher progestin potency (Yasmin®, Desogen®, Ortho-Cept®, Mircette®, Loestrin® 1.5/30, Demulen® 1/35, Zovia® 1/35E, Demulen® 1/50, Zovia® 1/50E)
Birth control pills have nothing to do with cancer either way.
They also do not stop menstruation.
According to the American Cancer Society, yes, there is a link between birth control and cancer.
(I have a masters degree in cancer biology. Before you respond to this question or "dislike" my response, try doing a little RESEARCH.)
It’s a WELL-KNOWN scientific fact that birth control slightly increases the risk of some types of cancer (like breast cancer) and decreases the risk of other types of cancer (like ovarian cancer). It involves the circulation of hormones through your body, and the tissues that react to those hormones. Unless you have a strong family history of female cancers (breast, ovarian, etc), it’s not something I would even think about. There are many, many risk factors that determine someone’s chance of getting a particular cancer.
The more important risk factor with birth control is that it can increase the risk of having abnormal blood clots. If you have a family history of stroke, heart attack, deep vein thrombosis, or pulmonary embolism, this is something you should consider.
Lastly, you should talk to your OB/GYN about your concerns. He or she will be able to have a conversation with you and explain the risks associated with birth control.
Take a look at this page from the AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY to see what kind of risk factors are known for breast cancer (including birth control):
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/overviewguide/breast-cancer-overview-what-causes
Total fallacy
It puts you at a higher risk of developing cancer especially breast cancer. I never took the pill but my sister has taken it for a long time and had breast cancer and undergoing treatment – I recently spoke to the doctor about HRT medications for the sweating but because my sister had breast cancer I cannot take HRT as it works in the same way as the pill and would put me at a higher risk of breast cancer. The leaflet that you get with the pill explains it.
"guber naculum" said most of what I was going to say. But I’d add that even though there may be a tiny increase in breast cancer while you’re taking the pill, that increase vanishes after you stop taking the pill. Yet the decreased risk of ovarian cancer will continue to be true for the rest of your life.
It is NOT harmful to stop menstruation. That’s an old wives tale based on faulty assumptions. This is why scientists use the Scientific Method, with double blind placebo-controlled studies. Such studies have shown that you don’t actually need menstruation. To put this in perspective: prior to the mid 20th century, women didn’t use birth control and spent a lot of their childbearing years being pregnant or breast feeding (breast feeding suppresses ovulation and thus menstruation). That was the state a woman’s body was naturally in. That was what we evolved to be. It’s this constant, monthly ovulation and menstruation that is the innovation, the thing we weren’t naturally supposed to do, and most likely that’s why we have all these problems today–breast, uterine, and ovarian cancer, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and ovarian cysts. In any event, when you take the pill, you still bleed every month in a way that is just like menstruation. You CAN take pills that prevent monthly bleeding if you want–that will NOT increase risk of any cancer!
birth control can help prevent cancer but if you already have cancer it can make it grow. I was having painful periods and planned parenthood put me on birth control. I was having a lot of breakthrough bleeding and they put me on a stronger one. Turns out I had ovarian cancer that was feeding on the estrogen and when they removed the tumor it was the size of a small basketball. I was really blessed though because it was still treatable and as far as I know I am cancer free. So while I wouldrecommend birth control, be aware of the signs of gyn cancer ans stop it if something is off untill you get checked out.
it is VERY harmful to stop menstruation, its the way to get toxins out of the body
its true, there is a risk to develop liver tumors and cysts.
BCP also cause infertility.