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  • SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 16 2007 4:00 PM

Birth Control is Good for You

Submitted by Bitch_PhD

Edited by erin_broadley

Tags: birth control, the pill, cancer, women's health



Rock the fuck on: a new study says that the pill cuts the risk of any kind of cancer by 12%.

the real benefits kick in 15 years or more after she has stopped. Most women go on the pill in their late teens or early twenties and have given up by their late twenties, before the age when cancer becomes most common.

The researchers, who analyzed 36 years of data from the Royal College of General Practitioners' oral contraception study, show that women who were once on the pill . . . .are significantly less likely to suffer from certain other cancers, in particular ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer, which affects the lining of the womb. They are also better protected from bowel cancer.



The one down side is that women who took the pill for over eight years are apparently more likely to get cervical cancer. But as the linked article points out, that's possibly the effect not of the pill, but of condomless sexual activity; most sexually active adults have contacted HPV at some point, and as we all know, some strains of HPV are known to cause cervical cancer.

And hey, there's a vaccine against that these days. Hurrah for science!

Bitch_PhD thinks the pill is the greatest thing since sliced bread.



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Comments
AlanTheWise

AlanTheWise

Seattle, WA
June 2006

SEP 16, 2007 04:10 PM

This makes sense! It turns out that Catholics aren't actually anti-birth control, they're just very PRO cancer!

code_red

code_red

Portland, OR
July 2005

SEP 16, 2007 04:13 PM

That's pretty gangster in my opinion. Makes me want to go have sex right now. shocked

Heathen_Dave

Heathen_Dave

Birmingham, AL
July 2005

SEP 16, 2007 04:15 PM

Watch insurance companies make it a requirement to be on birth control unless actively after a kid now. It would save them billions and billions in the reduction of cancer treatments.

Gringo

Gringo

Spokane, WA
May 2006

SEP 16, 2007 04:20 PM

Bitch_PhD said:
Rock the fuck on: a new study says that the pill cuts the risk of any kind of cancer by 12%.


It cuts the individual's risk of cancer of any kind by up to 12%.

From the linked article:

Using the first dataset, they calculated that a woman's risk of developing any cancer is cut by 3%, and using the bigger second dataset, they put the reduction at 12%. If the true figure is 12%, there will be one fewer cancer case for every 2,200 women using the pill, they say, and if it is 3%, there will be one fewer for every 10,000.



I hope it's at the higher number, but people shouldn't be mislead.

Shit, and to think I got a vasectomy so my girlfriend wouldn't have to take the pill.

JoLeigh

JoLeigh

SUICIDEGIRL

Florida, USA

SEP 16, 2007 04:25 PM

bowel cancer not for me...
take BC

egon

egon

Las Vegas, NV
July 2003

SEP 16, 2007 04:38 PM

Heathen_Dave said:
Watch insurance companies make it a requirement to be on birth control unless actively after a kid now. It would save them billions and billions in the reduction of cancer treatments.



you say that like it's a bad thing

IronOrchid

ironorchid

Australia
February 2007

SEP 16, 2007 04:38 PM

That's fantastic.

Unless you're one of the 20% or so* of women who has a bad reaction to hormonal forms of birth control.

* Statistics provided by my doctor when discussing BC.

Allegro

Allegro

Yonkers, NY
February 2007

SEP 16, 2007 04:43 PM

Well shit. I just went off birth control because side effects were hurting the very sex life I was trying to improve!

Doxie

Doxie

SUICIDEGIRL

Oregon, USA

SEP 16, 2007 04:44 PM

Neato.

Gringo

Gringo

Spokane, WA
May 2006

SEP 16, 2007 04:46 PM

Allegro said:
Well shit. I just went off birth control because side effects were hurting the very sex life I was trying to improve!


Studies will show that you can catch cancer from the penis. For serious.

From a soon-to-be study:

Research has indicated that nearly 97% of all females who developed cancer had contact with at least one penis in their life. Conclusive evidence that the penis contributes significantly to the risk of developing all cancers.

PRockGirlScout

PRockGirlScout

Portland, OR
October 2005

SEP 16, 2007 05:36 PM

This is such great news. There's a lot of fear-mongering on the left regarding the pill and it's good to see some of it put to rest.

LostLucy

LostLucy

USA
December 2006

SEP 16, 2007 05:57 PM

I find this surpisring but great news. I would hate to see people stop using sex safe though confused

Necia

Necia

San Francisco, CA
August 2005

SEP 16, 2007 05:59 PM

PRockGhoulScout said:
This is such great news. There's a lot of fear-mongering on the left regarding the pill and it's good to see some of it put to rest.



On the left? confused

luxmeaveritas

luxmeaveritas

Albuquerque, NM
December 2004

SEP 16, 2007 06:04 PM

Heathen_Dave said:
Watch insurance companies make it a requirement to be on birth control unless actively after a kid now. It would save them billions and billions in the reduction of cancer treatments.



So would covering smoking cessation programs.

(They don't.)

Formus

Formus

Milwaukee, WI
May 2007

SEP 16, 2007 06:04 PM

TheGringo said:

Allegro said:
Well shit. I just went off birth control because side effects were hurting the very sex life I was trying to improve!


Studies will show that you can catch cancer from the penis. For serious.

From a soon-to-be study:

Research has indicated that nearly 97% of all females who developed cancer had contact with at least one penis in their life. Conclusive evidence that the penis contributes significantly to the risk of developing all cancers.



I'm fucked. I've had contact with a penis every day of my life.

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