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by fabuliz on October 18th, 2006

fabuliz

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Are there any statistics on how many women get blood clots or heart attacks/stroke while taking birth control pills?How dangerous is the pill?

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  • by Anonymous on October 18th, 2006

    Anonymous

    The general consensus is that whilst there are some contraindications from taking the birth control pill (dependent on many personal factors and the type of pill taken and how long you take it for), the benefits of doing so far outweigh these slight dangers.
    The pill is a very effective method of contraception, and its worth bearing in mind the following statistics regarding blood clots:

    -About 15 clots occur in every 100,000 women each year who are taking second generation pills (the "older" type).
    -About 25 clots occur in every 100,000 women each year who are taking third generation pills (the more recently developed type).
    -About 60 clots occur in every 100,000 women are pregnant.

    There is some statistical evidence to suggest that women who have taken the pil have a slightly higher incidence of breast and cervical cancer. Whilst you are actually on the pill the risk of breast cancer is thought to be about 25% higher than average, although this decreases as soon as you stop taking the pill and after ten years is the same as anyone elses. For this reason your age, and family history of breast cancer ought to be taken into consideration before taking the pill. Regular mammograms for older women should be considered essential, and regular smear tests for anyone over the age of 20 are a good idea.

    The pill also has (other than preventing pregnancy and complications associated with it) some positive side effects.

    -It makes periods lighter and shorter, virtually eliminating PMS and also reducing risk of aneamia.
    -It is thought to reduce your risk of cancer of the ovaries, womb and bowel. A reduction of 60% reduction in bowel cancer risk has been claimed in some circles, although this is yet to be fully confirmed.


    The most important thing to remember is that your risk of stroke or blood clot is most significant if you:
    - smoke (doctors always recommend you stop smoking whilst on the pill)
    - are over 35
    - are overweight
    - have a family history of clots (always let your doctor know if this is the case)
    -are diabetic.

    Basically your risks of serious harm occuring when you are on the pill are very minor. But because they are significant doctors reccomend six-monthly monitoring sessions (they will normally take blood pressure, weigh you, ask questions about your general health) and its important you are honest about your lifestyle. If the doctor has reason for concern, he will normally recommend you stop taking the pill.

    Overall most women agree that the benefits of taking the pill are a fair trade off for the risks associated with not taking it.

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